JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- Johor is exploring the sports of padel and pickleball which have the potential to be expanded and become a sports tourism attraction in the country.
State Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said they expect to build six courts for the sports, which is becoming increasingly popular this year.
"There are two locations that have been selected... for padel in Nusa Duta and pickleball near the Johor Hockey Stadium in Taman Daya.
"The tender is expected to be opened either this month or in March, with a completion time of between six and eight months. So, this year we may have six courts, Insya-Allah,” he told a media conference after officiating the Larkin State Legislative Assembly Back to School event here today.
He said this when asked to comment on the state government's desire to explore the potential of these two sports.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, when tabling Budget 2025, also announced an allocation of RM500,000 for the construction of pickleball courts.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hairi said that several locations, including Iskandar Puteri, are among the sites selected for the opening of the Khabib Gym, with the ground-breaking ceremony expected to be held this year.
"The state government is looking at several locations, but everything is still in discussions involving the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
"Its design is ready and everything that was discussed is awaiting the consent of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, including the business model and how to move forward with the programme with Khabib Gym,” he said.
Onn Hafiz was previously quoted as saying that the Johor State Sports Council (MSNJ) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
He added that the MoU was sealed through a meeting between the state government delegation and Khabib in Abu Dhabi recently.
-- BERNAMA
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