THE Penang government is committed to promoting sports in the state through the ‘Sports For All’ initiative.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said this during his speech before opening the Hunza Penang International Master Table Tennis Championships 2023 at the Penang Table Tennis Association (PTTA) training centre in Macallum Street Ghaut today.
“The state government believes that sports have an unparalleled ability to unite people, break down barriers and foster a sense of camaraderie among people.
“Through the Sports For All initiative, we have established 77 sports clinics comprising 35 types of sports which have benefitted 19,228 participants from all walks of life.
“We have also realised that access to sports facilities has been a challenge, and to address this, we have built and upgraded a total of 92 sports facilities across the state. And we will continue to do so after this to provide better sports facilities for the people,” said Chow in his speech.
Also present were Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng, Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP) director Harry Chai Heng Hua, PTTA president Datuk Michael Tiah, PTTA deputy president Datuk Ang Aing Thye and Hunza Group managing director Datuk Khor Siang Gin, who is also the PTTA patron.
Speaking about the sports event, Chow said the Hunza Penang International Master Table Tennis Championships 2023 started today until tomorrow (Aug 20).
“This international sports event is not just about competition. It is also an opportunity for cultural exchange and mutual understanding to take place.
“As athletes and spectators come together, we can learn from one another, appreciate our differences, and celebrate and share our love for sports.
“And through this shared experience, we forge bonds that transcend racial and religious differences and promote peace, harmony and friendship,” he said.
Chow also thanked Tiah and his organising committee for organising the fourth edition of the championship, following the overwhelming success of the earlier series back in 2017 to 2019.
“To the event sponsor, Datuk Khor, I would like to say a very big thank you for your support for this tournament. I hope that Hunza will continue to support this event in the coming years,” said Chow.
Meanwhile, Tiah said the tournament was originally scheduled in 2020 but was postponed until today (Aug 19) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This year, we managed to attract over 100 elite players from over 10 countries in Asia, Europe and North America.
“Among them are teams from Xiamen Table Tennis Association in China which is making its debut in this tournament this year.
“In short, we have 20 teams taking part in the tournament this year with participants from countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Canada, Austria, Switzerland and Malaysia.
“This is indeed a good indication that this tournament has gained international recognition as one of the major table tennis extravaganza in Asia,” he said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud