MIRI – The Rural & Indigenous Community Sports Carnival 2025 is scheduled for 25 October in Kampung Long San, Telang Usan, as part of an effort by the Sarawak Ministry of Youth and Sports to deepen rural engagement in physical activity and promote healthier living.
Telang Usan State Assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau said the decision to stage the carnival in a remote area underscores the state government’s intent to bring sports programmes to interior communities and to create opportunities for indigenous groups to take part in constructive and health-oriented events.
“This carnival is a platform to bring together various ethnicities in Sarawak, not just one particular race. It aims to invigorate the spirit of sportsmanship and strengthen unity between communities,” Dato Dennis declared at a recent press conference at the Telang Usan N.77 People’s Service Centre.
He outlined that the one-day event will feature a variety of competitions, including men’s sepak takraw, mixed volleyball, men’s and women’s menyumpit (blowpipe), and street soccer for students of SMK Datuk Temenggung Lawai Jau.
Acknowledging the challenges of organising in rural settings, Dato Dennis remarked that logistical constraints and limited infrastructure were obstacles, but he credited the cooperative efforts of local leaders, schools and villagers as crucial to ensuring the success of the programme.
A Facebook post by Dato Dennis confirms that the carnival will take place in Kampung Long San, coordinated with the village’s JKKK (Village Development and Security Committee).
Local voices support the initiative: in prior remarks, Dato Dennis urged rural schools, particularly in Telang Usan, to actively organise sports programmes to nurture young talent and balance academic development with physical education.
As similar sports carnivals in remote zones have shown, such events can foster unity, promote wellness, preserve cultural games, and reinforce local identity while stimulating community bonds (See reports of other zone sports carnivals in Sarawak).
The Rural & Indigenous Community Sports Carnival 2025 promises to not only bring healthy competition to interior settlements, but also to strengthen social cohesion across Sarawak’s diverse communities.