KUANTAN, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) continues to strengthen its role as a talent development platform by hosting the 2026 Asian University Table Tennis Championships, bringing together university paddlers from 10 countries and territories.
Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Seri Mohd Shahar Abdullah said university sports championships are not merely a platform for determining winners, but instead play a role in shaping a young generation with discipline, resilience, leadership and sportsmanship.
The Paya Besar Member of Parliament described sports as being akin to youth diplomacy, acting as a universal language capable of bridging the relationship among people from different countries, languages and cultures.
“Young people are not just the leaders of the future, but you are all the drivers of change today,” he said when officiating the launch of the 2026 Asian University Table Tennis Championships at the UMPSA Sports Complex in Paya Besar here today.
According to him, the university-level championships provided student athletes with an international benchmark by exposing them to different playing styles and higher levels of competition.
He also said that hosting international sports events could generate benefits beyond the competition arena through sectors such as tourism, hospitality, transportation, broadcasting, technology and local enterprises.
He added that the economic beneficts do not occur automaticaly and needed to be planned through strong relationships with players and effective event management.
Meanwhile, UMPSA vice-chancellor Prof Dr Yatimah Alias said the hosting of the championships was a recognition of its ability to provide the facilities, infrastructure and ecosystems that support the organisation of international sports events.
The Sept 5-11 championships brings together 104 paddlers and officials from 10 countries and territories, namely Brunei, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Nepal, China, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia and Kuwait. They will compete in various categories at UMPSA here.
-- BERNAMA
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