Liew: Sarawak first to introduce live scoring in Sukma tennis

Source: Borneo Post Online

KUCHING (June 3): Sarawak is set to make another history by becoming the first to introduce live scoring for tennis matches at Sukma XXI, which will take place from Aug 15-22.

Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) president Dato Patrick Liew Chin Joon said the association has invested in live scoring system that is subscribed from the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) and this will provide coaches, players, officials, parents and even the Sukma secretariat with instant scores/results without needing to be physically present at the tennis centre.

"We want to try to attract more traffic to our website so that people can see the facilities and activities there," he told The Borneo Post.

According to Liew, a budget of about RM1 million has been approved by the state government. Of this amount, RM780,000 is for facilities upgrading while RM220,00 is for organising the Sukma tennis competition.

He expressed confidence that the upgrading works at the tennis centre will be completed before mid-August.

Liew said the Sarawak Sports Corporation awarded the contract to the contractor in early May.

"We have placed the order for the resurfacing materials from overseas and we expect them to arrive in the third week of June if the shipment is not delayed.

"In the meantime, we are doing the cleaning of the court surfaces, repairing cracks and patch up uneven surfaces, replacing the fences, repainting and upgrading of necessary facilities such as sofa and toilets," he added.

Additionally, the lighting for eight courts will also be upgraded to an energy saving LED lighting system which has a longer life span, in anticipation of having to conduct night matches. This lighting improvement is scheduled for completion by end of June.

Liew expressed gratitude to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for approving US$41,200 (RM193,928) for the lighting system upgrade.

"Once the resurfacing materials arrive in the third week of June, the resurfacing work will take about one and a half months. By the first week of August, it should be completed and with a one-week cooling period.

"It will also give our players about one to two weeks to acclimatise to the new surfaces and playing conditions," he added.

Liew anticipates 14 teams including Brunei to compete in the tennis competition.

"We are looking at nearly 1,000 people for the competition including players, coaches, officials, organising committee, volunteers, parents and supporters.

"Each team is expected to send 15 individuals, including a team manager, one to two coaches and players," he said.