Ting (seventh left), Lai (fifth left), Hii (sixth left), Mariam (fifth right) and other guests pose for a photo call at the official launching of the Borneo IRT.
MIRI (March 2): Miri has been chosen as the host for the inaugural Borneo International Robot Tournament (IRT), set to take place at the Meritz Hotel here this May 8 to 11.
Jointly organised by SMK Chung Hua Miri and Sasbadi Learning Solution, the event that is also supported by the Ministry of Education (MoE) is anticipating the participation of over 190 teams or more than 570 participants from Malaysia and overseas.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts I Datuk Sebastian Ting, in launching the tournament at SMK Chung Hua here yesterday, expressed his pride to see the school, being among the best secondary schools in Miri, taking up the challenge to organise such a prestigious event.
“This tournament represents a significant milestone in the promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and international cooperation.
“Most certainly, through the collaboration with Sasbadi Learning Solution and official approval from the MoE, it is indeed an honour to have this event here,” said Ting.
Besides fuelling students’ interests in STEM, refining critical thinking skills, nurturing creativity and enhancing their problem-solving abilities, the Piasau assemblyman believed that the hosting of the international competition in Miri could further boost Sarawak’s tourism industry.
The event, he said, would be a good platform to forge global ties, of which among the participating teams that had confirmed their attendance were from Macau, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, with the potential participation from Thailand, South Korea and Japan.
Among the highlights of the event will be the International Robot Lego Education SPIKE Prime Programming Conference.
Three international robotic coaches, known to have guided teams to victory in the World Robot Olympiad, will be conducting a sharing session and providing valuable insights to all participating teams.
Mayor Adam Yii, who was represented by his special aide, Kelvin Hii, remarked that the timely event coincides with the Miri May Fest.
“It is hoped that those coming here can bring something back and perhaps promote Miri to the world,” said Yii.
Registration for the competition is now open to four categories namely the elementary group (age 9 to 12); lower secondary level (13 to 15); upper secondary level (16 to 18); and the robot sports group (age 11 to 18).
Each category is limited to 48 teams, with each team being composed of one mentor and two players.
Closing date for registration is on March 28, 2024. Those interested can click on the link https://forms.gle/tGsWu9XwsxktgQ6JA.
Among those present at the event were Miri Education Officer Mariam Monel; principal Lai Jia Ling and SMK Chung Hua Miri Parent-Teacher Association chairman Voon Chen Tong.