2020 IHE GOLF MATCHPLAY TOURNAMENT UNITES UNIVERSITY ATHLETES NATIONWIDE

UUM ONLINE: The 2020 Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Matchplay Golf Tournament, which concluded last Thursday, saw the unification of university athletes over the course of three days.

Thirteen IHE competed in the 2020 IHE Matchplay Golf Tournament, which was held over three (3) days from December 21 to 23, 2021, at the Sultan Sallehuddin Golf Club (KGSS), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).

Among the IHE that competed were Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP), Majlis Sukan Kolej Komuniti (MASKOM), and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). In total 67 participants comprising 51 men and 16 women vied for the top spot.

The closing ceremony was officiated by Dato' Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, Divisional Secretary, Planning and Policy Research Division, who is performing the duties of the Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

In his speech, he stated that MOHE was deeply committed to the government's efforts to improve the quality of sports in the country, including the organisation of large-scale sports and sports of national and international standards.

According to him, the ministry has always given its full support to the organisation of sports tournaments that will aid in the development of sports in institutions of higher education that are seen to be capable of continuing the excellence of the performance of athletes and the country at the highest level.

He went on to say that the UUM National Golf Academy (UUMAGN) was chosen because the ministry recognised the abilities and expertise of Malaysia's only golf academy.

"The IHE Golf Matchplay Tournament will be able to demonstrate the level of professionalism shown by the players involved, especially with the use of the World Amateur Golf Ranking Point, which will be used for the first time," he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah, who is performing the duties of Vice-Chancellor, thanked MoHE for entrusting UUM to be the host and secretariat for the IHE Matchplay Golf Tournament this time.

According to him, golf tournaments like this one are critical in developing students' talents and potential in the sport of golf so that they can compete at the national and international levels.

He went on to say that by organising golf tournaments like this, it can be the best platform for IHE students to get more involved in golf and, in turn, the organisers and the MOHE Sports Section can select the best players to represent the country at international golf tournaments.

UUM won the first edition of the 2020 IHE Matchplay Golf Championship when Mr. Muhammad Fareez Muhammad Azihan and Ms. Charlayne Chong Shin Ling both of whom are athletes of AGNUUM's Centre of Excellence for Golf Sports emerged champions of the main men's and women's categories.