SIBU: Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng Jin Ek has proposed the establishment of Pickleball clubs in secondary schools here to enhance the growth of the sport.
Chieng, who is also the Sibu Pickleball Association president, said that it was essential for them to work closely with schools and NGOs.
“I have a plan to work with District Education Office (PPD). I will make an appointment with its officer Ali Chikba and then I will get his consent to set up the club in the secondary school so that we can develop it systematically. That is very important.
“When we have more students who love this sport, they will continue on throughout their whole journey. They can be trained to represent the Sibu Division. They can be trained, win the tournament, and represent Sarawak or even Malaysia,” he said during his speech at the grand opening of the I Play Swan Squad Pickleball Club (IPSS) pickleball courts at the Island Club Sibu today (April 21).
Chieng also said that he would propose to the ministry that a Pickleball training centre be built here to further develop the sport, as it currently seems to be booming in the town.
“I want to work together with our ministers to set up the training centre for pickleball. We need to find a piece of land. We need to ask the government to come up with the funding here so that we can build our training centre for pickleball in Sarawak, in Sibu.
“So this will be our plan, but of course, we need support from the government. That’s why I’m coming in (to help),” he said.
He hoped that both the Malaysia and Sarawak Pickleball Associations would organise more tournaments to attract more players as well as the public to the sport.
“We would like to organise more tournaments in Sibu, especially inter-school tournaments. When more students participate in the tournaments, they will undoubtedly become more interested and the quality of our players will increase,” he said.
