KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak is known as the "athletics state" of Malaysia.
It has produced national champions like hammer throwers Jackie Wong and Grace Wong and women's discus thrower Queenie Ting. And its triple jumper Brendon Ting qualified to compete in the Hanoi Sea Games in May.
The latest out of the Sarawak track and field factory is long jumper Rueben Valen Samen Anak Wellie.
The Iban teenager, who took up long jump four years ago, has broken his coach Lim Teck Leong's 23-year-old record in the MSS Sarawak Championships.
The Form Five student of Riam Road Chinese Secondary in Miri posted 7.24m in the boys' Under-18 MSS Sarawak Championships in Mukah in August to break Teck Leong's longstanding record of 7.04m.
And Rueben has been selected for the Asian Under-18 Championships starting in Kuwait today.
Teck Leong, whose proteges included Brendon, said: "When I first trained Rueben in 2018, he had no knowledge of long jump, but he was interested.
"I taught him basically from zero to make him now the top Under-18 long jumper in the country.
"I am proud that he has broken my long standing long jump record."
Apart from Rueben, three others — Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam (200m), Fiross Faizal (110m hurdles) and Ng Tak Sing (triple jump) — are competing in the Asian Youth Championships.
KW: sports, athletics, Sarawak, Rueben Valen, Lim Teck Leong