Karim reiterates call for more international sports events

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Karim (seventh left), Liew (sixth left), Ong (fourth left) and (from fifth right) Puneet and O’Rourke pose with teams captains and organising committee members at the welcoming-cum-fellowship dinner.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is encouraging more non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to emulate the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) in organising more international sports events.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this will not only help to promote sports tourism in the state but also help to put the state on the world map.

“I highly appreciate the spirit of comradeship through sports. More than just a game, it is a great mental and physical development for youths, it strengthens character and builds confidence.

Accepting defeats, rising from failures and shortcomings to strive for better achievement, these are important lessons and life learning curves,” he said during the welcoming-cum-fellowship dinner for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying competitions at a local hotel on Saturday.

“On top of that, sports teach us how to work in harmony with other people. There’s something wonderful about the spirit of games that brings people from all around the world together.

“It transcends politics, language and cultural barriers,” added Karim.

He also took the opportunity to congratulate SLTA and its president Dato Patrick Liew for bringing the prestigious JDC and JFC Asia/Oceania Qualifying events into Sarawak. The minister congratulated Japan, Uzbekistan, Australia and Hong Kong for qualifying for the grand finals in Budapest, Hungary in September and presented souvenirs in the form of beads to all the captains of JDC and JFC teams.

Also present at the dinner were Sarawak Sports Corporation chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee, ITF representative from New Zealand Patrick O’Rourke, ITF referee from India Puneet Gupta and organising committee members.