KUCHING: The Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Centre is set to undergo a major facelift beginning May as preparations intensify for the 2027 Southeast Asian Games.
SLTA president Datuk Patrick Liew said it would be the first time tennis is hosted at the regional meet in this city.
He said the state government has allocated a substantial budget to upgrade the centre, which will include resurfacing 13 courts, enhancing lighting systems, and adding new seating galleries and VIP facilities.
Liew said the renovation is expected to take six to eight months to complete.
“With the SEA Games coming in September 2027, this will be the first SEA Games held in Kuching. It is a great honour for the state government to select SLTA as a venue for tennis,” Liew said during the association’s Chinese New Year Courtside Dinner last night (Feb 28).
Court 7 will feature a seating gallery, while improvements to lighting will allow for evening matches. Court 8 will be upgraded to increase seating capacity. The enhanced facilities are expected to make the SLTA Centre one of the premier tennis venues in Malaysia.
Liew also expressed gratitude to the state government for its confidence in the association, noting that the upgrades will benefit not only the SEA Games but also future local and international tournaments.
Last November, SLTA received a gold recognition award from the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), one of only three associations worldwide to be honoured, alongside Kazakhstan and China. The award reflects SLTA’s commitment to hosting high-quality tennis events and is expected to attract more international competitions to Kuching.
“This means there will be more international tournaments held in Kuching, which will help the state government develop the city as a sports tourism hub in the future,” he said.
With the upgrades, Liew said the association hopes to inspire greater youth participation in tennis and strengthen the development of local talent ahead of major competitions, such as the 2026 SUKMA Games in Selangor.
“We also hope our coaches and those who assist can identify potential SUKMA players who can deliver gold medals for Sarawak,” he added.
Also present at the dinner were Deputy Minister for Transport and Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, and SLTA vice-president Douglas Telajan.
