KUCHING: Kuching City FC's success in qualifying for the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) competition is expected to have a major impact on Sarawak's tourism sector, thereby helping the state achieve its target of five million visitor arrivals by 2026.

Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the club's participation on the Asian football stage opens up international-scale promotional opportunities for Sarawak, particularly Kuching as a tourism and sports destination.

According to him, the arrival of elite teams from countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East to Kuching will increase global exposure for Sarawak.

He also hinted at the possibility of KCFC being drawn against renowned clubs’ line-up with world stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

"So from a tourism perspective, if the matches are held here, we will see the arrival of the teams and their supporters. Moreover, promotion on Kuching will also spread.

"Many will ask, where is this place called Kuching? In marketing and promotion, millions of ringgit are usually spent for such purposes, but this time, through football, we are actually already promoting Sarawak abroad.

"That is why I see highly positive prospects resulting from KCFC's success in reaching this level," he said during a press conference after his ministerial winding-up session at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday.

He also expressed his appreciation to the management and team of KCFC for successfully advancing to the Malaysia Cup final, which is scheduled to take place this 23 May against Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. (JDT).

Touching on the Sarawak State Stadium, Dato Sri Abdul Karim informed that the stadium, now known as the Taha Ariffin Stadium, cannot be upgraded yet as KCFC still requires a venue to compete, especially since the Sarawak Stadium is currently being upgraded for the SEA Games 2027.

He explained that the upgrade proposal will only be made after the SEA Games, and they will continue to use the existing stadium since there are no other alternatives to meet the criteria required to compete in the Super League and ACL2.

"So for the time being, we will continue using the existing stadium, and that is also one of the reasons why we have not executed the upgrade works.

"If we carry out the upgrade now, then where will Kuching City FC play? So that would create a problem for us," he added. -UKASnews

Prepared By: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Photos By: Muhammad Rais Sanusi
Translator: Ryan Lim