3 days ago
Double victory for Selangor e-sports team
State awards outstanding performance of athletes
THE Selangor Red Giants (SRG) e-sports team celebrated a landmark victory at the state's Sports Award ceremony, securing the Best Team accolade.
Its co-founder Simon Lim Swee Teck was honoured with the prestigious Jury Award.
This dual achievement signified a significant breakthrough for both the team and broader acceptance of e-sports within Selangor's dynamic sporting landscape.
In an interview with StarMetro, Lim described the experience as 'surreal'.
'I've always dreamed of being an athlete or a coach, but I knew I didn't have the talent – not on the field, nor on the sidelines. So, to contribute as a leader in management instead means the world to me,' he said.
The recognition for SRG, he said, was especially meaningful.
'Seeing the boys crowned Best Sports Team is a recognition of all the blood, sweat and sacrifices we've poured into this journey.
'We have always believed in doing things differently by building structure, instilling discipline and treating e-sports like a real sport.
'Yesterday, that belief was validated,' he said.
Looking ahead, Lim said the team's next major goal was to go global.
'My dream has always been to bring the Selangor name to the world stage. Whether it's through international tournaments, exporting talent or forging collaborations, we are setting our sights beyond local dominance.
'We're not just building a winning team, we are laying the blueprint for a lasting legacy.'
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who presented the awards, said the Selangor Sports Awards ceremony was held to honour individuals and teams who have demonstrated commitment, dedication and outstanding performance whether at the state, national or international level.
'We are proud that our female athlete Nor Farah Ain Abdullah was chosen for the national award.
'Tower runner Soh Wai Ching's achievements are not only impressive but also serve as motivation for other athletes.'
The 2024 edition of the Selangor Sports Awards took place at Dewan Jubli Perak, Bangunan Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam.
It featured eight categories: Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete, Most Promising Male Athlete, Most Promising Female Athlete, Best Team, Best Coach, Jury Award and the Leadership Icon Award.
Winners of the Best Male Athlete and Best Female Athlete each received a trophy and RM10,000 in prize money.
The Most Promising Male and Most Promising Female Athletes received a trophy and RM5,000 each.
The Best Team category came with RM10,000, while the Best Coach, Leadership Icon and Jury Award recipients each took home RM5,000.
Tey Hong Yu (table tennis) was named Most Promising Male Athlete, while Khew Zi Xian (aquatics) won Most Promising Female Athlete.
Mohd Ariffin Abd Ghani (lawn bowls) was awarded Best Coach, and Datuk Haris Kasim received the Leadership Icon Award.
Soh, who was named Best Male Athlete, said the award meant a great deal to him.
'I was honestly touched. I didn't expect it.
'I may have missed out on the National Sports Awards, but it's okay, this recognition from the state is something I'll never forget.'
Soh is currently preparing for a Guinness World Record attempt in July.
'The target is 1.710km on a stair-climbing machine and it is the equivalent of climbing four PETRONAS Twin Towers stacked on top of each other. The current record is 1.704km.'
He will also compete in the SkyRace at Merdeka 118 on Aug 30 – the world's biggest tower running event this year and host of Asian-Oceania Championship.
Nor Farah, current world No.1 lawn bowler, was named the state's Best Female Athlete, a win she said came as a surprise.
'It's truly an honour. I didn't expect it, especially with so many top female athletes across other sports.'
She has also received the Best National Female Athlete prize at the recent National Sports Award ceremony and is the first lawn bowler to receive such recognition.
Also present at the state awards were Selangor youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi and Selangor Sports Council executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi.
