5 days ago
Miri imbues squash players with 'community care'
All participants and prize winners in a group photo after the prize presentation.
MIRI (Aug 6) The inaugural Miri Squash Championships cum Mayor's Cup Challenge concluded on a high note as JH Hardware emerged champion and took home the RM2,000 cash prize. The three-day was held at Pei Min Squash Centre here from Aug 1 to 3.
The team comprising Alden Yeo, Wong Lee Hong, Russell Ong, Marcus Lee and Toby Huang defeated strong contenders from across Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam.
Miri Squash Association (MSA) president Yeo Yaw Lee saw the tournament as a showcase not only of competitive sportsmanship but the community's warmth and generosity as well.
'During the tournament, a fund-raising was launched and successfully raised RM2,735. MSA initially pledged a RM1,000 donation for 22-month-old Yvonne Paw who requires an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) and later matched the donation with an additional RM1,265, bringing the total donation to RM4,000.
'Beyond competitive play, young players should also learn to care for the community. This fund-raising effort reflected the primary purposes of hosting this tournament,' he said during the prize presentation.
According to tournament organisers, the strong turnout reaffirmed the support for youth sports development.
'We organise this competition annually to nurture new squash talents, which is why we have men's and women's categories for the under-nine age group. Our aim is to give more children the chance to play, learn and grow through competition,' Yeo explained.
It was held concurrently with the Miri Invitational Tournament with the hope of further promoting the development of squash throughout the state.
'MSA hope to continue hosting it annually here, and if Sibu and Kuching follow suit, we'll have the opportunity to promote regular team tournaments across Sarawak,' Yeo added. Miri Squash Championships cum Mayor's Cup Challenge
