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Malay Mail
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
World Pickleball Championship makes historic debut in Malaysia with 1,500 athletes
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — The rise of pickleball in Malaysia reflects a broader global trend, with the sport serving as a powerful tool for community building and youth engagement, said Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli. 'We've seen pickleball grow rapidly here in Malaysia, from community courts and school programmes to social activities and public events,' Adam said. 'It is simple to start, thrilling to master, and most importantly, it brings people together.' He said the sport's inclusivity and accessibility have made it popular across all age groups, aligning with the ministry's mission to promote healthy, active lifestyles. 'For us at the ministry, this sport aligns with our broader mission: to strengthen community well-being and to provide young Malaysians with more platforms to compete and succeed,' he added. At the launch of the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Asian Grand Slam being held in Malaysia for the first time, Adam hailed it as a milestone moment. The event will bring together more than 1,500 athletes from 20 countries and regions, making it the biggest pickleball event ever hosted in Malaysia and the largest WPC tournament in history. 'This isn't just about medals and matches. Events like this create tangible impact — in tourism, in business, in real development, and in how we position Malaysia as a destination for world-class competition,' he said, noting that the championship is expected to generate over RM30 million in economic value. When asked about the sport's ranking in the country, Adam said that while its popularity is undeniable, defining its exact position is complex. 'We can say it's definitely very popular due to its accessibility. Old and young can all play. But how do you define 'number one'? Is it based on player numbers, popularity, or something else?' he said. 'I hope that with help from organisations, associations, and partners, we can help the sport grow through competitions like this. That will help pickleball become at least one of the top sports in Malaysia.' Malaysia leading Asian pickleball growth At the event, Seymour Rifkind, founder of the World Pickleball Federation, said the sport was exploding in popularity here. 'I made a prediction 13 years ago when pickleball was a backyard game that it would be the fastest-growing and most popular sport in the world,' he said. He said that Malaysia leads the region in growth rate. 'The fastest-growing pickleball per population is Malaysia. Malaysia is number one, Vietnam is number two, and the amount of growth here in two years is incredible. Continue doing what you're doing on social media; it's working.' The championship will run from tomorrow until Sunday at The Pickle Grounds in Bandar Utama, Kuala Lumpur, featuring various age groups and categories. International athletes are arriving today, and entry for spectators is free. Among the notable Malaysian former athletes competing are Christian Didier Chin, a former top junior tennis player, and former national tennis player Colin Wong Wei Ming.
Malay Mail
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Sepak takraw squad hailed for Asian Cup success, incentives under review despite funding limits
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — The Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) will work towards providing incentives for the national sepak takraw squad following their positive achievements at the 2025 Asian Cup Championship held recently at Stadium Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur. Its president, Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan, said the amount had not yet been decided, but it would be a token of appreciation for the fighting spirit and sacrifices shown by all the players involved. Malaysia clinched two championship titles in the quadrant and regu events, and finished runners-up in the doubles and team regu events in the inaugural edition of the championship. 'PSM will try to give what it can afford, that is my promise to the players. I will also submit an official application to the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) and the National Sports Council (MSN) to see if incentives can be provided, especially for the gold medallists – and even if those who won silver medals can be rewarded, that would be a blessing. 'I hope KBS and MSN will give due consideration. As for PSM, we can't announce anything concrete yet as we don't have much funding,' he said at a press conference today during the launch of the 11th season of the Sepak Takraw League (STL). Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who officiated the launch of the new STL season, said the Sepaktakraw Asian Cup Championship generally did not fall under the events eligible for the Sports Victory Prize Scheme (SHAKAM), but she was open to considering it. The STL 2025 season will feature a format change aimed at increasing excitement in the league, which was dominated by Kuala Lumpur Thunder last season. The new format includes an increase in the number of Grand Prix (GP) events to six, with Negeri Sembilan added as a new host venue. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Adam Adli unworried about GE16 candidacy despite division polls loss
In 2022, deputy youth and sports minister Adam Adli won the Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary seat in a four-cornered fight with an 8,638-vote majority. PETALING JAYA : Despite his loss at last month's divisional polls, PKR's Adam Adli is not losing sleep over the possibility that he may be dropped as a candidate for the next general election. The outgoing youth chief said there are many factors that the party would need to consider when nominating a candidate. On April 13, Adam failed in his bid for the Hang Tuah Jaya deputy chief post, polling 791 votes. His opponent, Zamzizul Nordin won the contest with 1,905. That loss has sparked concern that Adam may struggle to defend his parliamentary seat. However, Adam said he was selected to contest the Hang Tuah Jaya seat at the 2022 general election despite not being a member of the division. He went on to win a four-cornered fight with an 8,638-vote majority. 'This shows that PKR does not select a candidate based on which division they are from. That is just one factor. 'So the question of whether or not I am still safe (and will be selected to defend the Hang Tuah Jaya seat) does not arise,' he said in an exclusive interview with FMT. The deputy youth and sports minister was responding to a suggestion by political analyst Tawfik Yaakub that he search for a new seat to stand in following his loss at the divisional polls. Tawfik also suggested that Adam make way for Shamsul Iskandar Akin to contest the Hang Tuah parliamentary seat at the next general election. Shamsul, who serves as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's senior political secretary, pulled in 1,995 votes to wrest the division chief's post from incumbent Rafee Ibrahim, who secured 736 votes. Adam stated that while PKR values public opinion, its decisions are not always driven by political strategy. He said that despite his loss at the divisional level, he still retains strong support at grassroot level. 'When I return to the constituency, I always receive words of encouragement from the locals. Many also turned up for an Aidilfitri event I hosted after the polls concluded.' Adam said that for now, his main focus is to serve his constituency. 'My loss (at the polls) has not discouraged me.'
