By Shikin Louis KUCHING, June 26: The PETRONAS Youth Football Closed Tournament 2025 is expanding beyond Kuching to Bintulu this year, drawing participation from over 2,000 young players and officials in a move hailed as a boost for grassroots sports development in Sarawak. Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the steady growth of the tournament shows its objective is being achieved. “This year, they’re coming back again with this PETRONAS Youth Football Closed Tournament 2025 on a larger scale. Last year, it was only held in Kuching. But this year, they have developed a little bit and will also be held in Bintulu. “Maybe in the coming years, we will be able to go to Miri, Sibu and other places. And the interest that will be developed on the ground among the youth, we are doing a very good noble service,” he said during a press conference held at Baitul Makmur 2 building here today. He emphasised the importance of youth tournaments in building athletic foundations. “You cannot reach the top without building the base. Any sport, whether it’s tennis, tenpin bowling, soccer, taekwondo—everything must start from the bottom. “This kind of tournament… the place, the avenue where skills are being developed, talents are being developed. And from there, we will be able to see players who will represent the State and the country, insya-Allah, in the future,” he added. The Kuching leg will take place from July 5 to September 13, while Bintulu will host from October 5 to November 22. A total of 92 teams from 22 academies and schools will participate in Kuching, with 24 teams from 12 institutions expected in Bintulu. According to Abdul Karim, the tournament will involve approximately 2,016 players and team officials, and will feature a team introduction and opening ceremony for Under-10 and Under-12 categories on June 29 at 11am, at Mydin Tunku Vista in Petra Jaya. He also announced the inaugural PETRONAS Youth Football Champions League 2025 (PYFCL 2025), which will run in Kuching from Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 3, 2026. Abdul Karim thanked PETRONAS and its partners including Kuching District Football Association (KDFA), Kuching City Football Club (KCFC), Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC), TVS and Bintulu Football Association (BIFA). He also acknowledged the support from various parties in the effort such as Sarawak Education Department, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus and Lea Sports Centre. The tournament will also see the introduction of PYFCT 2025 mobile app on the EasyTournament platform, allowing parents and communities to follow match schedules, team progress, and results in real time. Also present were Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick; PETRONAS Sarawak general manager and PYFCT 2025 coorganising chairperson Norazibah Md Rabu; Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) chief executive officer Khairul Nizam Morshidi; Kuching City FC chief executive officer Iswandi Ali Hassan; and Lea Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Raymond Sim Hee Pang. – DayakDaily