Bingkor Closed Catapult Competition 2025 Draws Massive Participation

15 August 2025

KENINGAU: The Closed Catapult Competition for Bingkor, organised by the Bingkorian Lastik Club (BLC), is expected to draw significant attention from fans of traditional local sports when it kicks off tomorrow at 8.00am at the Aki Tingadon Hall in Pantayan, here.

The event, open exclusively to participants from the Bingkor constituency, offers cash prizes, trophies, and goods worth hundreds of ringgit, with an entry fee of RM30. The champion will take home RM800 and a trophy, the runner-up will receive RM400 and a trophy, while third place wins RM200 and a trophy, and fourth place will be awarded RM150 and a trophy.

Consolation prizes have also been prepared. Participants who place fifth to tenth will each receive RM100 and a trophy. Those ranked eleventh to thirtieth will take home 10 kilograms of rice, while participants who finish in thirty-first to seventieth place will receive 5 kilograms of rice.

The competition will follow a three-stage format. The first round will see all participants attempt 30 pins. The second round will feature the top 70 participants, each taking on 20 pins. In the final round, the top 10 competitors will once again face 20 pins, followed by a sudden-death round using 10 final pins to determine the winner.

BLC Manager Royzal Pitrus said the competition has received strong backing from main sponsor Dato' Ishak Ayub Aman, who has been a consistent supporter of efforts to promote and elevate catapulting as a traditional sport in Sabah.

“This event not only tests the participants’ skills but also serves as a platform to nurture young talent and foster healthy competition between the younger and veteran generations in Bingkor,” he said.

Dato’ Ishak, who also serves as President of the Bingkorian Soccer Club (BDC), has previously supported the organisation of an open catapulting tournament in Keningau, further demonstrating his ongoing commitment to the growth of this traditional sport.

Organisers believe that this tournament will strengthen bonds within the local community while ensuring that catapulting continues to be preserved as an integral part of Sabah’s cultural heritage.

Dato’ Ishak is expected to attend the event in a casual setting, mingling and sharing light-hearted conversations—known locally as “berkupi-kupi”—with participants and attendees. He is especially popular among the younger generation, who appreciate his friendly demeanour and know him well from his active involvement in the district’s football scene.