UTAR athletes test their limits at Kejohanan Sukan MASISWA Zon Tengah 2024

The “Kejohanan Sukan MASISWA Zon Tengah 2024” annual sports event, held from 12 to 14 July 2024, was a collaborative effort between Majlis Sukan IPTS Malaysia and SEGI University. The event aimed to foster camaraderie among universities in Malaysia’s Central Zone while promoting athleticism and sportsmanship among students. UTAR Sungai Long Campus participated in the Table Tennis, Futsal, and Chess events, fielding a total of 20 players against 32 other teams in the region.

In the Table Tennis competition, UTAR’s team of six players, namely Sam Yuk Siong, Ow Yao Pin, Tan Zhe Yan, Wong Joe Yan, Louis Chung Kian Fu, and Joel Chen Yu Chen, competed in Single Male, Single Female, and Mixed Doubles matches against 14 other teams. The event took place at SEGI University’s Multipurpose Hall from 13 to 14 July 2024. Despite the struggles, the team did their best and secured 3^rd place at the competition.

Table Tennis players doing their best

UTAR Table Tennis Team (from left): Sam Yuk Siong, Louis Chung Kian Fu, Joel Chen Yu Chen, Ow Yao Pin, Tan Zhe Yan, Wong Joe Yan and Mr Alvin Li Tak Wing from MASISWA

The UTAR Futsal team, consisting of 10 players, competed against 16 other teams at Futsal Hub Kota Damansara. They were placed in Group F, alongside Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UNIKL), Universiti Islam Selangor (UIS), and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM). Although they did not win their matches, the team demonstrated resilience and enjoyed the experience, emphasising that the journey and experience were more important than the outcome.

UTAR Futsal Team in Team F (lower right)

UTAR Futsal Team warming up for the match

Despite losing, the UTAR Futsal Team had fun

For the Chess event, UTAR was represented by four skilled players who competed in seven rounds from 13 to 14 July 2024 at SEGI University. Though they did not achieve a win, the event offered valuable exposure and an opportunity to improve their chess skills by competing against some of the best players in the region.

Chess players thinking thoroughly before making their move

A chess player motivated to do his best

Overall, the MAHASISWA games highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and intellectual challenge among the participating universities. While the UTAR Table Tennis team won bronze medals and the Futsal and Chess teams did not secure victories, it was an honour for the UTAR teams to train and compete. The experience gained has motivated them to enhance their performance, participate in friendly matches, and prepare for future competitions.