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Tuesday November 3, 2009

Sabah want to host World Sevens

By AFTAR SINGH

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah have successfully hosted the Borneo leg of the IRB Asian Sevens series, which ended on Sunday at the Likas Stadium here.

And they will now make their bid to host one of the legs of the World Sevens in 2011. The last time Malaysia played hosts to the series was in 2001 at the stadium in Petaling Jaya.

Sabah Rugby Union president Vela Tan said that they were very ambitious in promoting rugby in the country.

“We have successfully hosted international events, among them the Borneo invitational tournament for clubs since 2001,” he said.

“This was the first time we hosted a leg of the Asian series and we did well in organising the tournament. We have the means and capacity to stage a World Sevens tournament in 2011.”

He added that Sabah hoped to score another first by staging the world tournament.

“We want to make Sabah a rugby playing state. And we are happy that we won the Malaysian technical states schools tournament this year,” said Vela.

The Asian Rugby Football Union secretary general, Ross Mitchell, was impressed with the job done by Sabah in staging the third leg of the Asian Sevens.

“The facilities at the Likas Stadium are excellent. I believe Sabah have the ability to be part of the World Sevens series,” he said.

The Asian Sevens tournament director added that Sabah would retain a spot in their six-leg series next year.

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