Sabah youths represent nation in Philippines soft tennis meet
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah youngsters Leviance Chong and Cristabel Ntakop will represent Malaysia in the junior division of the Philippines University Soft Tennis Championships.
The tournament starting this weekend will be played at the world class Colegio San Agustin tennis indoor hardcourts in San Jose Del Monte Bulacan, the Philippines.
International Affairs officer for the Sabah Soft Tennis Association (SSTA), K.K. Chin, will accompany Leviance and Cristabel, according to a press release issued via its honorary secretary Yenny Yapp yesterday.
Other countries taking part include Korea, Japan, Cambodia and Thailand as well as host nation the Philippines and the Philippine junior team.
The annual event, which is recognised by the Southeast Asia Soft Tennis Federation (SEASTF) and the Asian Soft Tennis Federation (ASTF), is part of several tournaments leading up to the 2019 Asia Cup in Thailand, 2019 Asian Juniors in Taipei and the 2019 Asian Universities Soft Tennis in Manila.
The resurgent soft tennis entity in the country is currently in the process of acquiring recognition with both the State Sports Councils and eventually the Olympic Association of Malaysia, which will enable Malaysian soft tennis players to participate in the Manila SEA Games in December 1-10, 2019.
SEASTF president Martuama Saragi of Indonesia, together with SEASTF chairman Col. Jeff Tamayo of the Philippines, had sent letters of support to their Malaysian colleagues.
ASTF secretary general Tatsuo Kasai from Japan and Korea Soft Tennis Association (KSTA) senior administrator Kim Hun Soo will personally discuss the matter with Chin during the tournament in Manila.