Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : THE PAN PACIFIC HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 02/10/89
Tajuk/Title : THE OPENING OF THE WORLD OPEN
SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP
The President of The Malaysian Squash
Racquet Association;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
I would like to thank the organisers for giving me the
honour to address this gathering and to officiate the
opening of this World Open Squash Championship. It is with
great pleasure that I bid 'selamat datang' to all foreign
officials and players.
2. I take this opportunity to thank the International
Squash Federation for choosing Kuala Lumpur as the venue of
this Championship. I am confident that the organisers, the
Malaysian Squash Racquet Association, is capable of ensuring
the success of this Championship, even though this is the
first time it is hosting a squash competition of this
stature.
Ladies and gentlemen,
3. In the past Malaysia has hosted a few world sports
championships, including those for badminton and hockey.
Indeed it is Malaysia's hope to host more world-level or
international sports championships in the future. This
World Open Squash Championship, hopefully, will be a prelude
for Malaysia to host more of such championships in the
future.
4. The Malaysian Government is supportive of all sports
and encourages local sports organisations to bid for world
or international sports championships to be held in this
country. There is no doubt that such championship events
will stimulate greater participative interest and improve
the standards of the particular game and sports generally.
It will of course make Malaysia better known in the sports
world where the number of players and spectators are huge
and increasing all the time.
5. For a country like Malaysia, this is important.
Besides, competitive sports at the international level help
foster friendly relationship between individuals and between
countries. Even countries at war are known to forget their
enmity during sports. Sportsmen may not be consciously
working at it but they do contribute a fair amount
towards world peace. One must not forget that it was a
game of ping-pong which ended some 25 years of confrontation
between the United States and China. As a politician and
pacifist I would like to say long live ping-pong. I hope
that squash will likewise be a breaker of ice in
international relations. How much more peaceful the world
would be if disputes between nations are settled in the
playing fields.
Ladies and gentlemen,
6. We are fortunate that besides the Government, sports
associations and private organisations have funnelled their
energies and finances to upgrade Malaysian sports. The
latest move is the establishment of The Foundation for
Malaysian Sporting Excellence. I take this opportunity to
congratulate those concerned in sponsoring and establishing
The Foundation. The Government for its part will look into
more support for sports generally and will make
international competitions held here more attractive to
participants from abroad and locally. The Government wants
to be quite sporting about sports.
Ladies and gentlemen,
7. I am indeed delighted that Malaysia has been entrusted
with this World Open Squash Championship. I also hope our
foreign visitors will find time to visit and get to know
this country while here.
8. Lastly, I trust that the spirit
of sportsmanship will prevail at this
Championship. It is now my pleasure to officially declare
open this World Open Squash Championship.
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