KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian junior tennis players may get a chance to compete at the international level on home soil this year.
However, it all depends on the Covid-19 situation in the country.
Tennis Malaysia (TM) secretary Kamaruzzaman Kedah said the association plans to host three, possibly more, ITF J4 and J5 tournaments in Malaysia this season.
Malaysia have not hosted any junior international events since 2019 due to Covid-19.
"At the moment, we have three tournaments lined up with the first one in Kelana Jaya (J5) in March," said Kamaruzzaman.
"The other two are expected to be held in Ipoh and Seremban (both J4) in May. There could be more tournaments in the second half of the year if conditions permit.
"These have been scheduled with the ITF but will also depend on the quarantine duration and other Covid-19 restrictions.
"We are hoping that the quarantine period will be reduced by then to make it easier for the foreign players to compete. If the quarantine process is too long, we may cancel the competitions.
"We are hoping that everything goes smoothly. We are looking forward to hosting these events and providing our juniors a chance to gain points and playing experience without having to leave the country."
Fully vaccinated visitors entering Malaysia currently need to serve quarantine for seven days, which can be quite a strain for those competing on a budget.
