Parents should encourage children to take up chess
She said chess is a unique sport as it is inclusive and can be participated by everyone, regardless of age, gender and physical ability.
'This sport is not limited by age, gender or even physical ability. We see that there are people with different differences, including people with disabilities, who can and are capable of playing chess.
'We encourage parents and families, especially in the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency, to support their children's participation in chess. We want to ensure children do not get involved in negative activities,' she said at the launch of the 2025 National Open Team Chess Championships-PMX Trophy here today.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, also thanked the Malaysian Chess Federation for their continuous efforts in developing the sport of chess in the country through regular seminars, training classes and competitions held almost every weekend.
She stressed that such tournaments are not just about competition, but are also an important platform for producing new national chess talent, including Malaysia's first Grandmaster.
'This tournament is not just a competition, it is a call to action and we want to produce our first Grandmaster... and we also want a woman Grandmaster,' she said.
As such, she stressed the importance of integrated collaboration between the Youth and Sports Ministry, Education Ministry, Higher Education Ministry as well as chess associations and clubs to strengthen the sport's development ecosystem.
Meanwhile, MCF president Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi said 350 participants are competing in the four-day championships, which began today, to elevate team chess events in Malaysia.
The tournament retains the format from last year, using the standard time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move, over seven rounds using the Swiss system. A total cash prize of RM30,000 is up for grabs, including RM6,000 for the champions, as well as special awards for the top three state chess associations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Over 1,300 shuttlers smash their way through Haier Cup 2025
THE Haier Cup 2025 comes to a close after 3 months, drawing over 1,300 amateur badminton shuttlers from across the country. The tournament ended on a high note with a series of exciting final matches, marking the close of this year's edition with standout performers from all categories, including more than 500 junior players as young as seven years old. The champions from Kuching, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuala Lumpur clinched top honours across the four main categories of men's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles to take home a share of RM60,000 in cash and Haier products. The shuttlecocks may have stopped flying for now but come October, these winners will carry the Malaysian flag to Bali to battle the best from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam in the Haier Cup regional stage. For the first time, the tournament welcomed the Haier Cup Junior 2025, a bold step in Haier's commitment to nurture the country's next badminton stars. Held in Kuala Lumpur on 19 and 20 July, the junior tournament attracted over 500 enthusiastic young shuttlers aged 7 to 21. Fierce rallies and nail-biting finishes marked the boys and girls singles and doubles categories, proving that Malaysia has an untapped pool of future badminton champions. 'The enthusiasm we have seen from both participants and the public is a strong testament to how much the Haier Cup resonated with communities across the country. 'It has been deeply rewarding to witness how this tournament continues to break barriers, create connections, and unite people from diverse backgrounds,' said Haier Branding Marketing Assistant, Julian Thean.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Over 1,300 shuttlers compete at Haier Cup 2025
THE Haier Cup 2025 comes to a close after 3 months, drawing over 1,300 amateur badminton shuttlers from across the country. The tournament ended on a high note with a series of exciting final matches, marking the close of this year's edition with standout performers from all categories, including more than 500 junior players as young as seven years old. The champions from Kuching, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuala Lumpur clinched top honours across the four main categories of men's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles to take home a share of RM60,000 in cash and Haier products. The shuttlecocks may have stopped flying for now but come October, these winners will carry the Malaysian flag to Bali to battle the best from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam in the Haier Cup regional stage. For the first time, the tournament welcomed the Haier Cup Junior 2025, a bold step in Haier's commitment to nurture the country's next badminton stars. Held in Kuala Lumpur on 19 and 20 July, the junior tournament attracted over 500 enthusiastic young shuttlers aged 7 to 21. Fierce rallies and nail-biting finishes marked the boys and girls singles and doubles categories, proving that Malaysia has an untapped pool of future badminton champions. 'The enthusiasm we have seen from both participants and the public is a strong testament to how much the Haier Cup resonated with communities across the country. 'It has been deeply rewarding to witness how this tournament continues to break barriers, create connections, and unite people from diverse backgrounds,' said Haier Branding Marketing Assistant, Julian Thean.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Selangor brothers taking ping-pong world by storm
TWO young brothers from Puchong, Selangor, are making waves in the world of ping-pong. Habib Adrian Muhamad Suhaidin Azhar Bidin @ Jamaludin, 10, and Raden Zharif, nine, have achieved a string of impressive accomplishments in various tournaments. This year, Habib Adrian made his mark on the international stage by ranking 21st in the world in the under-11 category and is the national No.1 in the same category. His younger brother Raden Zharif is the country's top player in the under-nine category. Their father Muhamad Suhaidin, 37, who is a ping-pong coach, said he never imagined his sons' interest in the sport would develop into a serious journey. 'When they were babies, I brought them to the ping-pong training centre where I was coaching,' he related. He said the focus at the time was just on having fun and building basic coordination, such as learning to touch the ball, hit balloons and control hand-eye movement. Once the boys turned two, Muhamad Suhaidin started letting them hit balls. Habib Adrian (left) training with Raden Zharif at a ping-pong centre in Petaling Jaya. 'After the Covid-19 movement control order was lifted, I took them to watch tournaments and gave them small rewards after training,' he told Bernama. Seeing the great potential in both his sons, especially Habib Adrian, who displayed skills on par with professional players, Muhamad Suhaidin began coaching them with a more disciplined and structured schedule. Besides him, five other coaches, including former national players, also took turns to train and expose them to different techniques and strategies. Muhamad Suhaidin said they dedicated about six hours a day, or 30 to 42 hours a week, to intensive training that focused on stroke techniques and ball control as well as physical fitness exercises such as skipping rope. 'If you want to compete at international level, you can't just train according to the usual local standard. 'We have to follow the approach of countries like Japan and China, with highly disciplined and consistent training and continuous international exposure. 'Habib Adrian has proven he can beat players from South Korea and Japan. 'So, if we don't start now, that opportunity may never come again; that is why I ensure there is a clear target and training plan for them every day, just like professional players,' said Muhamad Suhaidin. For his sons' training and participation in overseas tournaments, about RM100,000 a year is needed for each player, covering training fees, coach payments, equipment as well as travel and accommodation during competitions. 'That amount is huge, but it's an important investment to enable them to compete with the world's best players. 'So far, most of the cost has been self-funded, with some assistance from certain parties, but it is still not enough.' Muhamad Suhaidin said that while Habib Adrian possessed professional-level basic skills, his mental strength still needed improvement. He noted that Raden Zharif was showing improvement in technique and confidence but required more competition exposure to solidify his game. 'My target is for Habib Adrian to be among the world's top five within the next two years and for Raden Zharif to break into the world's top 10 for his age category,' he added. The boys' mother, Nurliyana Hazlin Hassan, 36, said although her sons were active in sports, their education was top priority. The siblings attend SK Puchong Jaya 2.
