KUALA LUMPUR: Worsening haze has forced the postponement of next week’s 100PLUS National Junior Development Programme (NJDP) Junior Series Grand Final due to concerns over the health and safety of young golfers.
The four-day tournament, scheduled to take place from Oct 27 to 30 at Seri Selangor Golf Club, has been deferred, with no new dates announced.
Air quality across the Klang Valley has remained unhealthy, with Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Johan Setia in Selangor recording Air Pollutant Index (API) readings of 170 as of 2pm on Tuesday.
Earlier at 9am, 30 locations nationwide recorded unhealthy air quality, up from 27 on Monday. Johan Setia and Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur registered the highest readings at 172.
API readings between 101 and 200 are classified as unhealthy.
Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) president Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor said the decision followed close monitoring of the haze situation and an assessment of potential health risks.
He said the decision was difficult but necessary, stressing that the health and well-being of young golfers must take priority over competitive opportunities.
The postponement follows the earlier deferment of the SLB-SportExcel International Junior Golf Championship, which was originally scheduled for Oct 6 to 8. The tournament has since been rescheduled for Jan 26 to 28 next year at Saujana Golf and Country Club.
The haze has also disrupted other sporting activities, including National Sports Day celebrations, which were postponed from Oct 10.
MGA emphasised that the NJDP Grand Final had been postponed rather than cancelled. New dates will be announced once air quality improves and venue arrangements are finalised.
-NST
