Abdul Hadi (left) exchanging the signed MoU with Zheng (right) while witnessed by Abdul Karim. — Photo by Tan Song Wei
KUCHING: Organisers have been urged to ensure their events are well-organised and delivered on all fronts particularly in extending Sarawakian hospitality to visitors to the state.
Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said athletes or visitors ought to feel welcome during their trip here.
“Visitors from outside should be given the hospitality which Sarawak is known for. Apart from promoting or having relationship in sports, I want those who come to Sarawak to feel welcome, which is also part of our effort to promote the state.
“In any events we are organising, this is the kind of guideline I have since directed to sports bodies here. Since we plan to have sports events be a monthly affair in Sarawak, I want to see every event organised properly,” he told a press conference after witnessing the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) and China’s Jooyyume Badminton Training Academy at Baitulmakmur Building here yesterday.
The MoU paves the way for the joint development of badminton particularly among the young including children from Sarawak and Xiamen of Fujian Province in People’s Republic of China where the Jooyyume Badminton Training Academy is from.
Abdul Karim hoped to see such collaboration continue so as to provide exposure for the state’s badminton players and trainees.
“In fact, 14 young players from the Jooyyume Badminton Training Academy have been in Kuching since July 14 together with their parents where apart from sparring with local badminton trainees, they also spent some time visiting local attractions such as Annah Rais and even the just concluded Rainforest World Music Festival.
“We are hoping such arrangement will continue as part of our sports tourism where those from China can come here not only as sparring partners but also tourists and also visa versa,” he remarked.
He also disclosed that two badminton academies from Guangzhou, China and Hong Kong will also be visiting the state soon for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, SBA secretary Abdul Hadi Datuk Kadir, who represented SBA president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain, said the association has always been trying to emulate what China has successfully done in producing world-class sporting talents.
“What we hope to achieve is to learn from (Jooyyume Badminton Training Academy) on how they run their academy and how we can emulate them.”
Acknowledging that while the country’s education system is not as flexible in terms of allowing students to focus more on sports, Abdul Hadi is hopeful that the Ministry of Education may be able to adjust academic hours should the academy here takes shape in the next two to three years.
“This will be like what the Academy Badminton Malaysia is already doing with the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur.”
With the recent announcement of the proposed RM35 million badminton academy to be set up at the Sarawak Stadium Complex in Petra Jaya, he said the association is also looking to work with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports on how the state can come in together with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
“This academy is not just meant for Sarawak but also for Sabah. Our president, who is also BAM deputy president, has been tasked to oversee the implementation of this academy.
“Hopefully, it will be a venue where players from China or other countries will come in on a regular basis to have training down at our place and it will be a side-by-side training from all over (the world) especially from China,” he remarked.
Abdul Hadi also noted that SBA is in the midst of identifying schools here with active badminton training which will be invited for regional training.
“However, Sarawak is at a disadvantage because it is almost as big as Peninsular Malaysia and yet our funding as far as BAM is concerned is equal to Perlis.
“Hopefully, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports can give additional funding so that we will be at par with other states and acquire more exposures when it comes to training and tournaments.”
Abdul Hadi signed the MoU on behalf of SBA while Jooyyume Badminton Training Academy was represented by its chief coach Zheng Yushen.