(Kuching, 26th) Datuk Seri Abdul Karim, Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Development of Sarawak, said that the government is planning to upgrade the facilities of the SLTA tennis courts, especially the optimization of lighting systems and spectator seats.
“As for the roof, while we are proud to have a professional site, building the roof involves complex construction and costs.”
He said this when answering reporters’ questions at a press conference this afternoon regarding the upgrade of venue facilities of the Sarawak Tennis Association and whether the Sarawak Tennis Center will follow international standards such as Wimbledon and build roof facilities to cope with the rainy season.
At the same time, Datuk Liew Chin Yong, president of the Sarawak Tennis Association, said that according to the logic of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), if a roof is to be installed in the venue, it usually must be of a unified standard for all courts (all indoors or all outdoor), and ventilation and maintenance costs are extremely high.
“At present, we still prefer to maintain open standards to ensure the continuity of the event.”
In addition, the reporter also asked about the preparations for the 2026 Equestrian Games (SUKMA) and whether there is any controversy over the outflow of Sarawakian players or representing other states in the competition.
Datuk Seri Abdul Karim responded by saying that every Equestrian Games will face the issue of player representation.
“We found that some Sarawakians trained or lived in Peninsular Malaysia and eventually chose to represent other states.”
“Although we respect the players’ wishes and do not want to stifle their careers, we will try our best to contact these elites with Sarawakian ancestry (for example, both parents are Sarawakian) to return.”
Datuk Liew Chin Yong added that the club is currently targeting several potential players, including an outstanding 13-year-old female player (both parents are from Kuching) who was trained in Australia and she has agreed to represent Sarawak.
“We will continue to optimize the long-term roster for the Equestrian Games, and our goal is not just for the next one, but for many events in the future.”
