Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Snowdan Lawan (third left) and Sarawak Sports Corporation CEO, Dr Ong Kong
Swee (second right) posing with the flag for the 21st Asia Masters Athletics Championship 2019. PHOTO : DOREN LING
KUCHING: Over 2,000 athletes are expected to take par t i n the 21st Asia Masters Athletics Championship which will be held in Sarawak in 2019. Thi s was announced yesterday by Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth, and Sports, Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah during a press conference at Grand Margherita Hotel here.
He also revealed that Malaysia, which was represented by Sarawak, was up against Indonesia and India to bid to host the championship.
“Sarawak has been given the chance to organise an event this big and we will work hard to give the best as organisers and host. “This is something big for us and we are proud to be organising it,” he said.
The Minister added that the hosting and organising of various international sporting events in the state had contributed to the increased arrivals of local and foreign visitors in the state.
“From January to May this year, there were 2.1 mi l l ion visitors compared to only 1.8 million registered for the same period last year.
“The statistics showed that the number of domestic and foreign visitors to Sarawak had jumped to 409,648 in April this year compared to 371,063 visitors for the same month last year,” he said.
Also present during the press confernce were Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Sarawak Spor ts Corporat ion CEO, Dr Ong Kong Swee.
