A total of 504 Orang Asli athletes took part in the second edition of the Orang Asli Sports Carnival (KSOA) 2023 from Sept 3 to 6 at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Bangi, near here.

The Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) in a statement today said the KSOA was held to discover and nurture sports athletes among the Orang Asli community in addition to strengthening the ties among the 18 Orang Asli tribes in Peninsular Malaysia.

It said 168 officers comprising team managers, technical officers and coaches were involved in the sports carnival, with Selangor hosting the event this year.

“This sporting event featured the best athletes who were selected to represent their states in state-level competitions that were held beginning April,” read the statement.

It said the department collaborated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in search of sports talents among the Orang Asli to expose them to bigger competitions.

The athletes competed in eight events including futsal, sepak takraw, netball, badminton, blowpipe and e-sports.

According to the statement, the secretariat and athletes were protected under the Tune Protect insurance and assisted by the Gombak Orang Asli Hospital as well as the Social Security Organisation, while Maraliner provided shuttle buses to facilitate the movement of supporters during the sports carnival.

Prizes were sponsored by AEON Big, it said, adding that the event was facilitated by the cooperation of GiatMARA and the Kajang Municipal Council.

KSOA 2023 was officiated by Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang.

— BERNAMA

Source: BERNAMA News Agency