“We thought all hope was lost” – Sabah Taekwondo Team Thanks M’sians For Crowdfunding Their Tickets

Earlier this week, a few Sabahan teens went viral on social media as they missed their connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur due to a flight delay. They were on their way to an international taekwondo championship held in KL.

Knowing this, a kind netizen crowdfunded for them and managed to get more than RM18,000 in less than 4 hours. This money made it possible for the teens to get to the competition on time and one of them even got a gold medal!

According to BERNAMA, their team manager, Valerie Grace Peter Sompunodo said that they were about to give up going to KL after the flight delay from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu.

“Truth be told, I’ve been searching for the cheapest flight tickets since last year for this competition and managed to get them for RM299, all paid for by the boys’ parents. So when we missed the connecting flight (to KL), we thought all hope was lost and considered withdrawing.”

That was until Riniejene Anthony came into the picture. After Riniejene came to know of their situation, she was quick to write a post and raise RM18,000 of funds for them to make it to the competition.

Arriving at the 2024 Hwarang Warrior International Taekwondo Championship venue, 12-year-old Leonel Bellvin managed to get a gold medal for the team in the men’s kyorugi (combat) event, competing in the 38-45 kg category for the 11-to-12 age group.

“This is also my 12th birthday gift for March 7 and I want to win many more medals to bring fame and pride to the state, the school and my parents.“

Their coach Safuan Fathy Amran, 33, also said that the boys were not from well-to-do families and they lived in rural areas namely Kota Marudu and Pitas which are 50km away from each other. So it was always hard for them to find a common training venue.

Speaking about the situation, he said, “I only have one concern – I don’t want their parents to feel let down. Some of them cried when they found out we missed the flight.”

“I’m the most disappointed, but winning this gold medal is motivating for future contestants. Thank you, Malaysians.”

This is certainly a very wholesome story that shows how kind Malaysians can be.

Also read: M’sians Raised RM18k in Just 4 Hours to Help Sabah Teens Compete at Global Taekwondo Event