THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Mayor’s Cup Paintball Championship kicked off with a bang this year, attracting an impressive 105 teams and a total of 1,050 participants across various categories.
The three-day tournament, jointly organised by MBPP and Raskal Sports Sdn Bhd, is being held from today until June 29 at Padang Polo, Jalan Sepoy Lines.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the tournament, now in its 10th edition since its inception in 2013, has grown significantly in stature and participation.
“This year, we are hosting seven competitive categories namely Open Electronic, Premier Electronic, Open Mechanical, Rookies, Valkyrie (female), Local Councils, and the MBPP Closed-Door category,” he said during the opening ceremony.
A total cash prize pool of RM51,000 is up for grabs for winners across all categories.
Also present at the event were MBPP councillors Rohaizat Hamid, Ooi Mei Mei, Shafiz Rahim Raja, and Visvenathan Tangavello.
According to Rajendran, one of the key highlights of this year is the introduction of the Local Councils category, a first of its kind in Malaysia.
Rajendran said MBPP is proud to be the pioneer in organising this new category, which features 10 teams from various local councils across the country.
“This tournament also enjoys strong international participation, with teams from countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Japan, India and others competing.
“In a move to boost public interest in the sport, we have also set up a free paintball clinic throughout the tournament to give spectators a hands-on experience,” he added.
Story and pix by Riadz Akmal