By Norrasyidah Arshad
PETALING JAYA, June 16 — The Selangor International Junior Golf Championship, which concluded yesterday, served as a testing ground for state teams before competing in the Malaysian Games (Sukma) this August.
State executive councillor for youth and sports development Najwan Halimi said the three-day tournament exposed the athletes to new knowledge, as it featured young professional players from other countries.
“This time, the Selangor golf team, which will be representing at Sukma, was also involved. This programme exposed athletes to international participants, further honing their talents.
“Within the team, five to six players will go to Sukma in Sarawak. Although they did not succeed in securing a place, they gained experience as the course here is quite challenging,” he said.
Najwan added that the Selangor International Junior Golf Championship and the PKNS Selangor Masters next week will further boost the state’s sports tourism.
Through these two tournaments, Selangor will gain greater recognition, and thus attract golf enthusiasts from all over to come to the state.
“This is also part of the state’s efforts to support the development of golf, and Selangor is also one of the leading states in this sport.
“We will ensure that these championships continue to be annual events to elevate the sports tourism segment further.
With widespread support, we will ensure Selangor becomes organisers’ choice for golf,” he said.
Najwan was speaking to the press during the championship’s prize-giving ceremony at the Seri Selangor Golf Club yesterday, which was also attended by State Secretary Datuk Haris Kasim.
For this year’s tournament, the Chinese men’s team and South Korean women’s team were announced as the group champions, while Shijun Jing (China) won the men’s individual category and Byun Jiyool (South Korea) won the women’s.
Beginning on Thursday (June 13), the Selangor International Junior Golf Championship saw the participation of 123 young players aged 12 to 18 from 12 countries, including India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Several top Malaysian junior players also took part, including those from the Malaysian Golf Association, the UUM International School Melaka, the PKNS Golf Academy, and SportExcel.
The men’s individual category champion has the opportunity to participate in the PKNS Selangor Masters from June 19 to June 22 at the same venue, which is an important platform for young golfers to gain experience by competing in professional championships.
