A BADMINTON tournament which started as a local initiative has grown into a platform that attracts international participation, says Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony of the Penang Chief Minister’s Cup Badminton Tournament 2026 at Elite House Restaurant in Jelutong tonight, Chow said the growth of the tournament showed that meaningful progress was not simply about becoming bigger, but about creating more opportunities and reaching further.
“An initiative that began locally has created enough interest and confidence for others to come in and be part of it,” he said.
“That, to me, is meaningful growth – not simply becoming bigger, but creating more opportunities and reaching further.”
The fourth and final edition of the Penang Chief Minister’s Cup Badminton Tournament saw 13 teams and 130 players competing across four categories, with participants aged between 21 and 67.
The tournament took another step forward this year with the introduction of the redONE Mobile Challenge Trophy, which attracted five invited international teams from Thailand, China and Malaysia.
The five teams, represented by two Malaysian club teams, two Chinese club teams and one Thai club team, joined the tournament to compete for the inaugural redONE Challenge Cup, bringing the total number of participating teams to 18.
Chow said the achievement was made possible through the commitment of organisers, sponsors, partners, officials, volunteers and players who continued to support the tournament.
“This does not happen by itself. It happens because organisers put in the work, sponsors and partners are willing to support it, and players continue to take part,” he said.
He added that while the state government could provide support and help bring people and organisations together, the energy behind any initiative had to come from the people themselves.
“For Penang, this is the kind of development worth encouraging. Not every initiative has to begin on a large scale. Sometimes, something starts simply because a group of people believes it is worth doing,” he said.
Chow said he was grateful to have been part of the tournament’s journey over the past four editions during his tenure as chief minister.
However, he added that if the organising committee and sponsors wished to continue the tournament in the future, he would not object, and the event could either continue under the existing format or be renamed in honour of another individual.
“The value of what we build is not only in what we achieve today, but in what it inspires us to do tomorrow,” he said.
Also present at the dinner were the Chief Minister’s political secretary Lau Keng Ee, Batu Kawan Service Centre and Padang Kota KADUN Service Centre director Ewe Chee Way, Timuran Football Club president Teoh Choon Kheng and Penang Badminton Association technical team head Datuk Ang Lay Heng.
In the Chief Minister’s Cup, Thunder Trailblazer emerged champions and took home RM10,000 in prize money.
Coffee Tree Trading Sdn Bhd finished second and received RM7,000, while Penang Forward Sports Club and Macallum BC shared third place with RM3,000 each.
In the redONE Challenge Cup, Thailand’s Sena Sports Station clinched the title and won USD10,000 (RM40,700).
Thunder Trail Blazer (China) finished second with USD7,000 (RM28,490), while Malaysia’s Ancom SBC took third place and received USD3,000 (RM12,200).
The dinner celebration ended on a high note with lucky draw prizes, including travelling bags, badminton racquets, jewellery and smartphones, presented to delighted recipients who went home smiling.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Siew Chia En