02 Jul S’wak plans Covid jabs for peninsula-based athletes

Kuching (2 July): The Sarawak government through the Youth and Sports Ministry is looking at ways to help its athletes and officials who are based outside the state get vaccinated against the Covid-19.

Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the athletes and officials included those preparing for Sukma Johor 2022 and footballers playing for Sarawak United Football Club and Kuching City Football Club in the Malaysian Premier League.

“Our problem is that many of them are now based in Semenanjung Malaysia and how can we get them vaccinated.

“The National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in Semenanjung is not as great as Sarawak’s and our athletes and officials are facing the problem of queuing up for their turn and they may even get vaccinated after fellow Sarawakian’s in the state are vaccinated,” he said in a video post on his Facebook account yesterday.

Abdul Karim, who is Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said he will discuss with the Sarawak Sports Corporation to overcome this problem.

“We are looking at approaching private hospitals and clinics to get our athletes and officials vaccinated as I understand many of these hospitals and clinics are designated as vaccination centres.

“If these vaccination centers are not far from their training bases, we will try to find ways to send them there,” added Abdul Karim.

Once vaccinated, Abdul Karim said the athletes would be able to carry out normal and systematic training.

“I know many of our players and officials have tested positive previously for Covid-19 and after the vaccination, even if they get infected again, at least the experience wouldn’t haunt them,” he said.

Source: The Borneo Post