Celebrating Sports: Malaysians Unite For National Sports Day In China And Indonesia

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- In an effort to promote active lifestyles and healthy living, Malaysian diplomatic missions in China and Indonesia have organised National Sports Day (HSN) events in their respective locations.

Even when far from home, participants embraced the opportunity to celebrate HSN, observed annually on the second Saturday of October since its inception in 2015.

The HSN aims to cultivate a sporting culture and position Malaysia as a prominent sporting nation.

In Guangzhou, China, around 150 Malaysians, including students and expatriates, took part in HSN Badminton Carnival hosted by the Consulate General of Malaysia.

The carnival featured competitions in five categories: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s Doubles, and Women’s Doubles, along with a badminton lesson for children.

Consul General Suraya Pauzi told Bernama that this year’s event was organised on a larger scale to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.

“We invited representatives from the local government to join us in the games to further strengthen Malaysia-China relations at the people-to-people level,” she said, noting that various Malaysian companies in Guangzhou contributed gifts for participants.

Suraya also attributed the good support for this year’s HSN to Malaysia’s recent achievements at the 2024 Olympic Games, where the country secured two medals, sparking off badminton fever.

Meanwhile, at the Malaysian Embassy’s multipurpose hall in South Jakarta, activities such as Zumba, badminton, and table tennis were held, fostering strong unity and camaraderie among participants.

The event was led by Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, along with home-based staff and locally-recruited staff of the embassy and the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to ASEAN.

These celebrations show Malaysia’s dedication to promoting health and sports around the world, while simultaneously building stronger diplomatic and cultural connections through shared activities.

-- BERNAMA