(From left) National Sports Institute chief executive officer Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli, National Youth and Sports Department director-general Mohd Azahari Mohammad, Malaysian Association of Dodgeball patron Datuk Malek Noor, Radhakrishnan, Adam Adli, Youth and Sports Ministry deputy secretary-general Ramona Mohd Razali and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau chief operating officer Noor Ahmad Hamid at the launch. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
MALAYSIA will break new ground when it hosts the Asia-Pacific Dodgeball Invitational (API) and the World Club Championships 2023 from May 25 to 28.
The feather in the cap coincides with Malaysian Association of Dodgeball president Datuk V. Radhakrishnan being appointed president of the Asian Dodgeball Federation.
Granted approval to stage the Asia Pacific Dodgeball Invitational (API) by the World Dodgeball Federation, Malaysia is expected to welcome about 140 teams from 20 countries to the tournament, including athletes from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Laos, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The tournament is set to be held at the Panasonic Sports Complex in Shah Alam, Selangor, and run from 8am to 10pm each day, and is open for the public to attend.
Radhakrishnan said was it was “an honour” for Malaysia to host the invitational tournament and hoped that it would become a stepping stone towards staging the 2026 World Championship.
“Hosting the API will improve the country’s stature in the sport and allow for it to gain invaluable experience in managing big international events,” he said, adding that it would also benefit some 30 local clubs who were expected to be in the mix.
“There will be about 2,000 players, of which 1,100 will be foreign participants,” said Radhakrishnan at the launch of the event at the Youth and Sports Ministry in Putrajaya.
“And to my knowledge, no other team sport in Malaysia has attracted that many foreign participants (to a single tournament).”
Radhakrishnan said he expected the local clubs to do well in the men’s and mixed categories, given that the Malaysian men’s team won the gold and the mixed team won silver at the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, last year.
Radhakrishnan said that beyond the bid to host the 2026 World Championships, he would also give his full support to the world federation which was in the process of negotiating with the Commonwealth Games Federation to include dodgeball at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Canada.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim said at the launch that the API could raise the image of the sport in the country.
“This is a big achievement considering it is a second-tier sport in Malaysia and I believe that the local sides will gain great experience by playing against the foreign teams.
“This is also the best time for us to demonstrate that we are capable of hosting a world-class event in Malaysia.
“We have all the facilities and unwavering support from the government agencies, especially from the (Sports) Ministry itself, as well as the National Sports Institute, National Sports Council and others, to help the national association organise a successful event,” he added.
Radhakrishnan, who also serves as the Malaysia Aesthetic Group Gymnastics Association deputy president, said his election to the presidency of the Asian federation was a “great honour and recognition” for him and the country.
“It is a validation that all our efforts have not been in vain and have not gone unnoticed,” Bernama quoted Radhakrishnan as saying.
“I forever pledge my commitment to the role and promise to take the great game of dodgeball to greater heights in the region,” he said.
