MELAKA, Feb 24 — Melaka will host seven national and international tennis tournaments throughout the year which will be held at the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) Tennis Complex, Ayer Keroh.

Youth, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Exco Datuk V.P. Shanmugan said the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from April to November, also involves major tournaments such as the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 Melaka Championship from Nov 3 to 9.

“So far, 15 countries have confirmed their participation, including China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and others.

“This tournament will also bring together many ITF ranked players and become a platform to collect points and improve their ranking,” he told reporters during a press conference held by the Melaka Lawn Tennis Association (MLTA) which was also attended by its president Shahrul Hafidz Ab Rahim and Melaka State Sports Council director Mohd Asri Ninggal.

Commenting further, Shanmugam said among the other tournaments at the national level are the Malaysian Junior Tennis Series Championship from May 21 to 25 and the Malaysia Open Tennis Championship (Sept 30 to Oct 5).

He said the tournament at the Asian level involves the Melaka ATF for the under-14 and 16-year-old categories as well as the Melaka Heritage International Inter Team (MHIITT) 2025.

“This effort has the full support of the Melaka government which is committed to developing tennis and as one of the main attractions as well as enhancing the sports tourism industry in the state.

“Last year, the federal government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) channelled an allocation of RM500,000 for the repair and maintenance of the courts at the tennis complex,” he said.

He said through continuous initiatives and strong support from various parties, he also hoped that Melaka could strengthen its position on the world tennis map.

He said international tournaments like this are also seen to be able to unearth young local talents and create a higher competitive atmosphere in the country’s tennis sport, thus improving the performance of local tennis players.

“In ensuring that the tournament runs smoothly, the state government will provide funds to MLTA and encourage the involvement of the private sector to sponsor such tournaments through MSN to obtain tax exemptions,” he said. — Bernama