KUCHING: The 2nd CMS Borneo Junior Open has attracted top players from Australia and Hong Kong such as Gregory Chan, Remi Young and Valerie Kaityln Huang.
Gregory and Remi are among the four Australians taking part in the big event along with four players each from Hong Kong, Pakistan and one from Singapore.
Gregory is Boys U13 champion while Remi is the Boys U15 champion of the Australia Leg and Valerie is Hapan Junior Open Girls U11 champion.
Other names to watch in the competition that kicks off today at the Sarawak Squash Centre at Petra Jaya are Aira Aiman of Kedah who is Penang Junior Open Girls U13 champion, Nathan Kueh of Miri who won the Japan Junior Open Boys U15 title and Thanusa Uthrian from Malacca who is Girls U11 champion in the same tournament.
Kuching will be fielding the biggest team of 37 players
followed by Miri (29), Negeri Sembilan (27), Sabah (25) and Selangor (23).
“The response to this event was overwhelming with 233 participants from five countries.
“This will be the first time that the Squash Association of Kuching (SAK) is organising such a big event in Sarawak after the first edition was organised by the Miri Squash Association last year,” said organising chairman Emmanuel David.
It is also the second major competition to be held at the Sarawak Squash Centre after Sukma XVIII and the event is sanctioned by Asian Squash Federation and Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia as part of the Asian Junior Super Series with a Silver status.
“For the first time in the Borneo Junior Open, we are offering cash prizes to the top eight finishers, with the champions of the Boys/Girls U15, U17 and U19 getting RM500 and a medal and champions of the Boys/Girls U13 and U11 receiving RM350 and a medal,” added Emmanuel.
“We hope that everyone will support this tournamentand we expect there will be more foreign participation next year,” he said.
“We would like to thank CMS Cahaya Mata Sarawak for being the main sponsor, Assistant Minister of Youth, Sports and Solidarity Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for a RM10,000 grant and for agreeing to officiate the closing ceremony on Sunday, Sarawak Sports Corporation, Sarawak State Sports Council, Sarawak Stadium Board, Public Works Department Kuching, Nestle Products, Sarawak Squash Association, Kuching Park Hotel and official hotel Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites,” he added.