Sabah's aspirations for glory at the 2024 Hwarang Warrior International Taekwondo Championship in Kuala Lumpur took an unexpected turn when their athletes missed the flight from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur due to a sudden flight delay.

Coach Safuan Fathy Amran, leading 14 athletes from Pitas and 3 from Kota Marudu, shared the unfortunate incident on Facebook. Despite arriving early at the airport, a delay in the Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan flight caused them to miss the subsequent flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The budget airline, scheduled for 9:30 AM from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, deviated from the plan, leading to a delayed arrival in Sandakan. Upon reaching Sandakan, another setback awaited them as their flight to Kuala Lumpur was rejected by a different Malaysian airline, despite online check-in. Safuan clarified that their entry was denied due to arriving less than 40 minutes before departure.

This incident brought disappointment to participants prepared after months of rigorous training. Parents who worked hard to raise funds, shared in this letdown.

This situation compelled parents to pay over RM3000 for next-day flight tickets to ensure their children's participation, despite the high cost. Some parents were forced to withdraw due to the financial strain, despite the overall participation cost not exceeding RM1500 per person.

However, a good samaritan on Facebook, Riniejene Anthony initiated a donation drive starting from RM10 to assist affected participants. The initiative garnered a warm response, with almost half of the required amount raised!

The boys have reportedly arrived in Kuala Lumpur just in time for their competition, working hard to strike gold, as proven by one of them, pictured below. 

All the best, boys! What do you think of this incident? Leave your comments. 

Source: I Love Borneo