KUCHING: Teenagers, former SUKMA athletes and veteran players in their 60s shared the same courts as the Sarawak Inter-Division and Sarawak Closed Tennis Championship 2026 continued to showcase the sport’s strong cross-generational appeal here recently.
Held at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Centre, the annual championship drew participation from 13 divisions statewide, including teams from Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Bau, Kapit, Mukah and Sri Aman.
The team event concluded with a prize-giving ceremony yesterday, while the singles competition is set to conclude today.
SLTA president, Patrick Liew, said the tournament remains one of the association’s key annual events in strengthening ties among affiliates while continuing efforts to promote tennis throughout Sarawak.
“Whether young or old, women or men, all can participate,” he said after the prize-giving ceremony.
He noted that the championship, which has been held annually for nearly 30 years, continues to receive encouraging support despite the rise of other racket sports such as pickleball.
“Even though pickleball is very popular, tennis is still equally popular.
“We have to continue promoting the sport and make sure it remains relevant for the future,” he added.
Patrick also described this year’s participation as encouraging, with divisions continuing to travel from across the state to compete.
He was also pleased to see increasing involvement from younger players, including former SUKMA athletes now returning to compete alongside the next generation.
“Some of them even bring their children to come and play.
“It is a good sign because they are still interested in tennis,” he added.
In the tournament, Kuching Division Lawn Tennis Association (KDLTA) A emerged champions of the team event after defeating PTBS A 3-2 in the final.
