KUCHING, The opening ceremony of the Malaysia Games (SUKMA 2024) on Aug 17 at the Sarawak Stadium will highlight the unique culture and identity of the state. Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) chief executive officer Dayang Mariana Abang Bolhassan said that under the concept of 'Matlamat Perpaduan Membara', this year's SUKMA opening event will reflect a holistic sense of unity. 'The whole concept of this event is beyond a cultural performance; it aims to make this edition of SUKMA particularly memorable. 'I want it to be something that we can all be proud of and hope that the weather will also be on our side on that day to ensure the best performance,' she told Bernama during rehearsal at the stadium today. Dayang Mariana said a total of 1,800 participants, including members of various associations, students from public and private higher education institutions, and school students, will take part in the event. 'These participants come from diverse backgrounds and exhibit remarkable dedication, giving their al l in the training that began in April,' she said, noting that the effort is supported by a team of 44 teaching staff. Meanwhile, the Sarawak Implementation Monitoring Unit, in a statement, announced that 7,500 tickets for the SUKMA opening ceremony will be distributed free of charge on Aug 13 and 14 at Sarawak Stadium, starting at 10 am. SUKMA 2024, scheduled from Aug 17 to 24, will be held across nine divisions: Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri. It will feature 488 events, covering 37 sports, consisting of 236 men's events, 217 women's events, and 35 mixed events, and is expected to bring together 12,619 athletes and officials. SUKMA was first introduced in 1986 and has been hosted in Sarawak twice before, in 1990 and 2016. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
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