Paya besar: 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.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Seri Mohd Shahar Abdullah emphasized that university sports championships are not merely a platform for determining winners, but also play a role in shaping a young generation with discipline, resilience, leadership, and sportsmanship. The Paya Besar Member of Parliament described sports as a form of youth diplomacy, acting as a universal language capable of bridging relationships among people from different countries, languages, and cultures.
He highlighted that young people are not just the leaders of the future but are drivers of change today, while officiating the launch of the 2026 Asian University Table Tennis Championships at the UMPSA Sports Complex in Paya Besar. The deputy minister noted that university-level championships provide student athletes with an international benchmark by exposing them to different playing styles and higher levels of competition.
Moreover, he mentioned 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 cautioned that economic benefits do not occur automatically and need to be planned through strong relationships with players and effective event management.
Meanwhile, UMPSA vice-chancellor Prof Dr Yatimah Alias stated that hosting the championships was a recognition of the university's ability to provide the facilities, infrastructure, and ecosystems necessary for organizing international sports events. The championships, scheduled from September 5-11, will bring together 104 paddlers and officials from Brunei, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Nepal, China, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, and Kuwait, who will compete in various categories at UMPSA.