Defend our sporting turf

THE recently concluded Maybank Championship was a balm to our collective sporting soul.

Global media broadcasted the best female golfers in the world competing in a world-class Ladies Professional Golf (LPGA) event at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Coun­try Club (KLGCC).

Despite the scorching heat (and occasional thunderstorm), Malay­sians and tourists alike flocked to our premier golf club to witness an enthralling tournament that concluded on Sunday with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita pipping Aus­tralia’s Hannah Green and South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin in a play-off.

As we grapple with the consequences of FIFA’s decision to uphold all sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven “naturalised” players, the success of the May­bank Championship proves that even though sporting glory conti­nues to elude us, we are more than capable of hosting world-class events.

Winning smile: Yamashita posing with her trophy after her LPGA win at the Maybank Championship at the KLGCC. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

The LPGA event is part of an Asian swing that includes tournaments in China, Korea and Japan. As far as the sporting calendar goes, this US$3mil (RM12.57mil) tournament is one of only two world-class events that we can confidently say is held in Malaysia.

The other is the PETRONAS Grand Prix in Sepang which was held the week before.

Both the golf and MotoGP events showcase the country to the world and also act as econo­mic multipliers because of the foreign sports fans who arrive in Kuala Lumpur to catch the action.

Other than paying to watch the events live, these tourists spend on accommodation, food, shopping and travel.

That is why it is vitally important that we hold on to both these events. PETRONAS has confirmed that it will sponsor the MotoGP in Sepang at least until next year while Maybank will continue to host the LPGA event until 2027.

The sponsorship of world-class sports is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the GLCs do this for national pride as well as branding purposes. The indirect boost to Malaysia cannot be underestimated.

Malaysia used to have the PETRONAS F1 Grand Prix and the CIMB Classic, but both Formula One (last race in 2017) and men’s golf (last held in 2018) have left our shores.

The reasons for the cessations were similar – decreased interest and rising costs. But our loss is our neighbour’s gain. Singapore first hosted its inaugural F1 night race in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength. It is arguably the most popular stop now in the F1 calendar.

Thailand has also got in on the act, with a contract secured to F1 street races from 2028 to 2032. The agreement involves a significant investment in bringing the Grand Prix to the city, highligh­ting its iconic landmarks and boosting tourism.

After the CIMB Classic ended in 2018, Japan started its Zozo championship the very next year, making it part of the PGA Tour’s Asian swing.

That is why we cannot afford to lose our last two international events. Thailand and Singapore have been on the forefront of sports tourism in Asean and now Indonesia is getting in on the act too.

Not content with hosting their own MotoGP, the Indonesians have recently hosted the World Artistic Gymnastics Champion­ships in Jakarta and will host the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for the first time tomorrow.

The UFC is one of the fastest- growing sports in Asia and has held events in Japan, China, Philippines, South Korea and Singapore.

It is imperative that the government put its weight behind the continuing sponsorship of golf and MotoGP. Beyond the obvious and intangible benefits to Malay­sia, hosting these events here will also help to nurture grassroots talent in motorsports as well as golf.

The just-concluded Maybank Championship is proof of that. It is a nurturing ground for young Malaysian talent. They may not have won, but our top three finishers Mirabel Ting, Kelly Tan and Genevieve Ling had a lot of hometown support in the four-day tour­nament.

It is time we prioritise other sports other than football because after the latest fiasco, we are no closer to getting to the elusive dream of playing in the World Cup.

Women’s golf offers a tantali­sing glimpse of glory to a nation starved of sporting success. We only have to look at what our northern neighbour has achieved to see the possibilities.

For the longest time, the LPGA has been dominated by the Koreans and Americans.

But not any longer.

The world’s number one is Jeeno Thitukul, who played in Kuala Lumpur last week and had the biggest galle­ries following her.

But the 22-year-old isn’t the only Thai making waves.

Ariya Jutanugarn and Patty Tavatanakit are already major winners and there are a host of young Thais on the cusp of making a breakthrough on Tour.

The remarkable rise of Thai female golfers isn’t a fluke or a magic formula.

Malaysia can emu­late this. All we need is grassroots development, identifying and nurturing young talent. And most of all, government support.

The Maybank Championship is integral to this. We need to ensure that the country hosts this presti­gious event beyond 2027.