KUCHING: Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah received a courtesy call from a delegation of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) in an effort to strengthen ties between both parties in the field of regional sports.

The delegation, led by its Secretary-General Nasser Majali, was welcomed by Dato Sri Abdul Karim alongside other guests at the ministry's office in Petra Jaya on Thursday.

Also present were Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Operation) Datu Hii Chang Kee, Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dzulkornain Masron, and other guests.

The approximately hour-long meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere, reflecting the close relationship between Sarawak and ISSA, particularly in sports development.

In his brief presentation, Nasser shared that ISSA is the governing body responsible for organising the Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG), which are held every four years.

He mentioned that the ISG involves participation from 57 member countries under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), with the most recent edition hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2025.

According to him, the visit was also aimed at informing about the selection of Malaysia as the next host for the ISG to be held in 2029.

He explained that this platform was also utilized by ISSA to share insights and experiences from previous ISG editions to assist Malaysia with its upcoming hosting duties.

Meanwhile, Dato Sri Abdul Karim welcomed the ISSA delegation's visit, describing it as a valuable opportunity for discussion that could bring benefits to the advancement of sports across regional Islamic countries.

He noted that ISSA has played a pivotal role in elevating the stature of sports in Islamic nations through the staging of the ISG since 2005.

He also highlighted Sarawak’s success in hosting various national and international championships, including its preparations to co-host the 2027 SEA Games. — UKASnews