SIBU: The organising of the Sibu Esports Festival (SIESF) 2025 proves Sibu’s continued commitment in strengthening its position as the main hub for digital sports in the central region of Sarawak.
Sibu Resident, Mohamad Porkan Budiman said the participation of nearly 2,000 participants including teams from Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia clearly showed the appeal of the festival at the regional level, thus boosting Sibu’s name in the national e-sports landscape.
“Esports is no longer just a leisure hobby.
“It has grown into a global industry that opens up new opportunities in digital entrepreneurship, talent development and professional careers,” he said when officiating at the SIESF 2025’s opening ceremony at the Sibu Indoor Stadium, here on Friday afternoon.
Porkan stated that the organising of SIESF 2025 reflected Sibu’s readiness in adapting to the rapid development of the industry as well as its ability to organise high-impact events in the digital field.
He expressed his appreciation to the Sibu Division Tourism Task Force (DTTG) and the Sibu Division Electronic Sports Association (SDESA) for the success of the festival with the support of various state government agencies.
Among the ministries involved are the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts; Sarawak Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development and Sarawak Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment.
The three-day festival, which will run until June 29, features various popular gaming competitions such as PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Efootball Mobile and console games, with a total prize pool of RM50,000.
“This is a great incentive that can attract more youth to participate in the digital world in a healthy and competitive manner,” said Porkan, who is also the Sibu DTTG chairman.
According to him, SIESF 2025 will also be enlivened with various community and tourism-related side events including the five-kilometre Byte Odyssey Run, the Entrepreneur Carnival involving 25 local entrepreneurs, the Career and Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) Exhibition as well as the Paradise Motorsport rally involving the participation of 1,000 high-powered motorcycles.
An entertainment concert involving local and Peninsular artists also enlivened the festival atmosphere, making SIESF not only a competition arena but also an inclusive people’s event.
“SIESF 2025 is a clear manifestation of close cooperation between the community, youth and the public and private sectors in building a harmonious, competitive and inspiring atmosphere,” Porkan said.
He hoped that the festival could be made a regular annual event in the Sibu Division’s tourism and youth development calendar in the future.
Also present were the head of the Strategic Planning and Project Implementation Monitoring Section of the Sibu Division Resident’s Office, Maria Nadja Jimmy; SDESA president, Abdul Taib Rosli; and Sibu Division Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) officer, Jelani Ajang.
