UNEARTHING talents is one of the goals of the state government in sponsoring the Penang Chief Minister Cup Interschool Table Tennis Championships 2022, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow said the response for this year’s championships was very encouraging after noting that 470 players representing 192 teams from 69 primary and secondary schools throughout Penang are taking part in the two-day tournament from today until tomorrow.
The inaugural championships held in 2019 attracted 347 players from 147 teams which represented 50 schools.
Chow acknowledging the warm reception he gets when he arrives for the opening of the Penang Chief Minister Cup Interschool Table Tennis Championships 2022.
Chow thanked the Penang Table Tennis Association (PTTA) organising committee for holding the championships for the second time after it was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the opening ceremony, Chow presented RM30,000 to PTTA deputy president Datuk Ang Aing Thye for the running of the championships and RM50,000 to PTTA president Datuk Michael Tiah for the association to promote the game.
“It is hoped that this tournament can become a platform for Penang to produce new talents in the ping pong arena.
“Promising and talented players will be selected by a jury, and hopefully after nurturing them, these players can one day go on to represent the state and country.
“Also, sports have long been the most successful agent in uniting the people of a country, including Malaysia,” Chow said during his speech at the Penang Table Tennis Association Training Centre at Macallum Street Ghaut today.
He said the state government, in collaboration with various parties, has conducted various initiatives to improve and upgrade the sports infrastructure.
For instance, the RM3.5 million Permatang Rawa Mini Football Stadium has been completed while the construction of nine badminton courts and other facilities, costing RM8.8 million, in Nibong Tebal is ongoing.
The development of sports in the state, he said, is on the right track and in line with the Penang2030 vision for ‘A Family Focused, Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation.’
Tiah, during his speech, thanked the state government for its support to help the association carry out its activities.
He also commended the Penang team for winning 100 medals (30 gold, 28 silver, 42 bronze medals) in the recent 20th Sukma in Kuala Lumpur.
He said he believed PTTA would have been able to contribute medals had table tennis been included in Sukma last month.
Also present at the opening ceremony were state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee, Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, organising committee adviser Lau Keng Ee, PTTA vice-presidents Datuk Loh Nam Hooi, Datuk Ch’ng Han Seng and Tan Kheng Hong, PTTA treasurer Neoh Hin Peng and PTTA secretary Oon Tik Keong.
After his speech, Chow went on to spar with one of the participants, Nurhanim Johari from SMK Bagan Jaya, to symbolically open the championships meant for Under-10, Under-12 and Under-15 boys’ and girls’ team events.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Law Suun Ting