KEMAMAN – Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail set a new benchmark in grassroots sports development after successfully hosting a national-level rugby championship that attracted participation from across the country, including teams from Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Kelantan, with a total of 32 teams competing.
Branded after the school’s acronym, the HIPERSIS 7s tournament featured the fast-paced seven-a-side format and focused on the Under-12 age category. The inaugural edition was held over two days starting May 1 at Universiti College TATI (UC TATI), which served as the official venue.
Tournament patron Mohd Nasir Mat Omar said the championship provided a timely platform for teams, many of whom are preparing for their respective state-level Schools Sports Council (MSS) competitions, as well as the upcoming national MSS Malaysia championship scheduled to take place in Perak this September.
“For a long time, the absence of dedicated tournaments at the primary school level has forced teams, especially from the East Coast, to travel to other states in search of competitive exposure.
“As educators in Kemaman, we took the initiative to organise this tournament to strengthen rugby development at the grassroots level.
“The response has been highly encouraging. In fact, participation from outside Terengganu exceeded expectations, signalling strong potential for the tournament to be expanded in the future,” he said, adding that he also serves as the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail, Kemaman.
Meanwhile, Mersing Rugby Academy (ARMERS) manager Muhammad Aliff Haikal Zaidi described the tournament as a valuable opportunity for his relatively new team, established in 2023, to gain experience in a competitive environment.
“Most domestic tournaments rarely feature the Under-12 category, despite the fact that many rugby teams at this level originate from primary schools nationwide.
“That is why we were willing to travel a considerable distance to compete here,” he said.
The two-day championship, which began on May 1, also featured a women’s category with the participation of 10 teams, bringing the total number of teams competing in Kemaman to 32.