A historic milestone was marked with the successful staging of the Liga Persahabatan Jemputan Belia Kuil (7-a-side) football tournament, a pioneering event that brought together temple youths from all Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) registered temples on the island for the first time.
The tournament was organised by Persatuan Penganut Sri Mahamariamman, Lebuh Queen, in collaboration with the PHEB, and was officiated by Deputy Finance Minister and Tanjong MP Lim Hui Ying, who also extended her support with a contribution of RM5,000 towards the programme.
This groundbreaking initiative placed temple youth boys long regarded as the backbone of temple operations at the heart of community development.
It recognised their important contributions not only in religious duties, but also in leadership, volunteerism and strengthening social cohesion within the wider community.
PHEB was represented by Senator Dr R.A. Lingeshwaran, who congratulated the organisers for their bold and forward-thinking approach.
He commended the temple and the board for elevating engagement to a new level, moving beyond traditional religious and educational activities to actively promote youth participation through sports and community-building platforms.
In her address, Lim stressed that the tournament was far more than a football competition.
She highlighted sports as a powerful medium to instil discipline, teamwork, mutual respect and unity across differences.
Drawing parallels between teamwork on the football field and nation-building, she underscored the importance of unity in diversity, in line with the spirit of Malaysia Madani.
The tournament, she noted, exemplified how shared goals and collective effort can strengthen harmony within both the community and the nation.
The organisers expressed hope that this landmark tournament would serve as a model for future initiatives under the PHEB, paving the way for stronger youth engagement, leadership development and greater inter-temple solidarity across Penang.
Story by Riadz Akmal