New sport making inroads

Dr Mah (standing, fourth from left) and Sukdev (standing, third from left) taking a group photo with some of the youth participants during the Jombola Workshop at the Youth and Sports Department hall.

THE Jombola Association Malaysia is in Perak to promote the new racquet game created in the country.

Combining the unique features of three popular ball games - tennis, badminton, and table tennis - jombola is a sport suitable for all ages.

Association president and creator of the game Sukdev Singh said the idea of the game came to him when he used to be an avid tennis player back in 2006.

“Tennis is actually not a very affordable sport because of the game equipment.

“You also need a tennis court for it, you cannot just play it anywhere.

“So I started to play it on my own by hitting the ball when it bounces off the wall at home.

“Once, the ball even flew into my neighbour’s house, so I decided to look for a softer ball and a lighter racquet,” he told reporters during the Jombola Workshop held at the Youth and Sports Department hall on Sunday.

Sukdev, who is also a history teacher, said the idea of jombola took five years to be developed because it took time to determine the suitable equipment and set of rules for the game.

“I tested 38 different types of balls - some solid, some air-filled - and finally, I went with a high grade sponge ball.

“It is slightly bigger than a tennis ball but it would not hurt anyone or break fragile objects.

“By going with a custom-made racquet that is also only slightly bigger than a table tennis racquet, even children and senior citizens are able to handle it easily unlike a normal tennis racquet, which is heavier,” he said, adding that the game is played in a badminton court using the same lines.

Promotion for jombola has already started in other states including Negri Sembilan and Selangor since 2012, and Sukdev hopes that it will soon receive nationwide and worldwide recognition.

“In 2016, the game will be debuting in the Higher Learning Institute (IPT) Games and soon we hope that it will also be a sports event at larger-scale championships such as the SEA Games.

“We are currently preparing a roadmap for jombola to be part of the Olympics demonstration game in 2024.

“Hopefully, it could be a sports event for players to compete in the future,” he said.

Sukdev pointed out that items of the jombola game equipment were only available in Kuala Lumpur stores for the time being.

“We are still in the process of building our distribution network state by state.

“But for those who are interested, they can also purchase the equipment from our official website www.jombola.com,” he said.

State executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon was present to launch the workshop.

About 60 youths from various associations participated in the workshop.