1 week Ago By Katrinna Moon
Photo shows the top teams of SpoGomi Borneo, who stand a chance to compete in the national stage, to be held in Penang later this year.MIRI (April 22): Over 200kg of rubbish were cleared in one hour during the SpoGomi Borneo drive here last weekend.Taking place at the Piasau Boat Club here, the high-energy trash-picking competition involved 25 teams.
Co-organised by the local environmental groups, the programme registered participants from all across Sarawak, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and also Brunei, and among them were students, professionals and volunteers.Spogomi, a blend of ‘sport’ and ‘gomi’ (the Japanese word for rubbish), turns environmental action into a timed competition, in which teams race to collect and sort litter quickly and accurately.Making its Borneo debut here, the event had three-members teams competing for a chance to represent Borneo at the SpoGomi World Cup 2025 Malaysia, to be staged in Penang later this year.
Participants collect the trash bags prepared by the organisers for the SpoGomi Borneo drive.Among the top performers were the teams Dendro, which collected 30.62kg of trash; GJ7, with 20.
91kg; and ‘Winnis Liao’, with 17.92kg – all of whom earned their place for the next stage of the competition.Beyond the competitive aspect, the event also fostered in the participants a sense of community and shared responsibility for the environment.
“I think such events should be held consistently, not just annually, so that people can develop greater awareness,” said Mohd Zaid Kamis, the talent and culture manager at Mercure Miri City Centre, who participated in the SpoGomi Borneo with his team.Harry Lagi, in reflecting on his first experience, said: “I have joined clean-ups before, but a trash-picking competition is, for me, a new twist. It’s a great experience, and I am thrilled to have been part of it.
”Mohd Zaid (front, second right) with representatives of Mercure Miri City Centre.Each team was required to sort rubbish into specific categories, including burnables, non-burnables and cigarette butts, with penalties being imposed on those for sorting incorrectly.The rules emphasised speed, environmental literacy, and also cooperation.
All waste collected was either recycled, or properly disposed of.Ronie Nicklas from Domino Academy Miri, a member of the winning team Dendro, remarked: “It is a fun and engaging way to make environmental work exciting. I really hope this becomes a recurring event here.
”(From left) Muhammad Amirul Rusdan, Harry and Christian Bryan Mareng representing i-Cats University College, in a photo-call with Ronie and Shane Bryan Sering from Domino Academy Miri.The post SpoGomi Borneo drive in Miri clears over 200kg of rubbish in an hour appeared first on Borneo Post Online..
