Yesterday morning, I was honoured to be invited as the guest for the first-ever Kuching City Cup Pickleball Competition, organised by the Rotary Club of Kuching Central in collaboration with Pusat Khidmat P195 Bandar Kuching
This historic tournament achieved the highest number of participants for a youth Pickleball competition in Sarawak and was the first grassroots-focused youth tournament in Kuching. A total of 62 young players under the age of 18 qnd as young as 7 years old took part, showcasing incredible skill, passion, and sportsmanship.
What made the event even more special was the participation of players from Betong, who went on to win second place in the U18 category. Their achievement is even more inspiring as they come from a rural area with limited fascilities, but yet managed to shine on this competitive stage.
Recognising the importance of promoting healthy and active lifestyles, I allocated RM50,000.00 to the Rotary Club of Kuching Central to host this event tofurther encourage the growth of Pickleball in our community as well as raise funds for Rotary Club of Kuching Central with every cent going towards the club’s upcoming community projects — ensuring that the spirit of giving and development extends far beyond the courts.
Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that has been steadily gaining popularity across Malaysia, including here in Sarawak. I want to see Sarawak become one of the main power-house of Pickleball in Malaysia — and may it continue to grow and bring medals to our beloved nation and beyond. For this to happen,it is important we develop this sport from the grassroot level and allow our school children the best environment to succeed in this sport.
As the number of NCDs especially diabetes cases growing in an alarming rate in our nation, it is crucial that we promote sports and physical activity across all age groups. This event not only encourages healthy living but also nurtures young talent for the future.