By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 29: Sarawak is looking into the possibility of establishing a dedicated eSports centre in Kuching city to accelerate the growth of the industry, provide a platform for youths to develop into world-class players, and divert them from exposure to harmful substances and negative social influences.
In a media release today, Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the centre would serve as a hub to nurture young talent in online gaming, which has gained widespread popularity and acceptance among Sarawakian youths.
“The development of eSports among the younger generation can attract them away from negative influences such as drug abuse and other social ills.
“We could work towards building an eSports centre in Kuching city so that the industry can grow rapidly and provide opportunities for youths to become world-class players,” he said during the closing ceremony of the 10th edition of the “BreakOff eSports Challenge 2025” held at the Centre of Technical Excellence (Centexs), Santubong branch, along Jalan Sultan Tengah here.
Abdul Karim, who also chairs the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) Sarawak branch, said the association will continue its efforts to engage local communities, particularly youths, to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and the use of prohibited substances.
He said among Pemadam’s key initiatives is the annual “BreakOff eSports Challenge,” which has been running for the past decade and aims to promote healthy recreational activities while conveying anti-drug messages through online gaming competitions and other engaging activities.
“Pemadam Sarawak is consistently reaching out to young people through programmes like ‘BreakOff eSports Challenge’, now in its 10th edition, as a way to channel their energy and focus into something positive
“These programmes help deliver important messages and reminders to participants, most of whom are youths,” he added. — DayakDaily
