Photo : Hugo (right) with Elaine at the Good Club.
By JT
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah needs no introduction. Endowed with alluring natural beauty and other irresistible attractions, coupled with the people’s hospitality, the state is already famous internationally as a desirable tourist destination. So remarked Hong Kong artiste Hugo Wong when met at the just-concluded inaugural Borneo International Pickleball Open 2026 held at the Good Club, which houses the largest pickleball court building in Sabah.
Which explains why he is a repeat visitor, having been here more than 10 times to see more and more of Sabah’s tourist hotspots.
“My profound experience gives me a good impression of Sabah and her people. I love the sea and beaches in Sabah, the forests and mountains. Rarely do I see all these natural resources in just one location when I travel to some other countries.
“So, you get to touch nature within such a close distance. I enjoy the sunshine, sightseeing, shopping and cultural entertainment. The people are so warm and friendly. They exude kindness. That’s why I never hesitate to promote Sabah in Hong Kong,” he told Jesselton Times.
This time around, despite an ongoing hectic shooting exercise for a Hong Kong drama in his homeland, he specially flew in to support co-organiser Megas Mind Creative Development which teamed up with Kelab Rekreasi Pickleball Borneo Sabah in organising the event.
Representing Megas Mind, the Hong Kong celebrity’s presence at the exhibition match after the opening ceremony sent his fans into a frenzy as he partnered Josie Lai, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, which supported the event together with Sabah Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia Sabah, Protech Sports, and Explore Sabah.
“The Borneo International Pickleball Open 2026 is a large-scale sports competition over three days involving more than 500 participants. I believe it is the largest ball competition for the time being. I’m very happy to participate,” Hugo said. “While players from other places come to Kota Kinabalu to take part in the competition, they get the rare chance to experience Sabah’s wonders, too. Similarly, local players have the opportunity to compete with participants from other countries, enabling them to exchange ideas and views for improvement.”
Hugo added : “I had a good time here, meeting and communicating with different people from different walks of life. I have made new friends in Sabah. I will come back in the future, whether it is for sports tourism (pickleball, tennis, cycling, etc) or entertainment if an opportunity comes my way again.”
The Hong Kong sports and lifestyle personality thanked Organising Chairwoman Datin Elaine Fong Yee Ling, who is the Director of Megas Mind Creative Development, for his special appearance at the Borneo International Pickleball Open 2026, sanctioned by the Sabah Pickleball Association.
From his observation, Sabah people are full of enthusiasm for sports, dedicated to many different types of sports in the interest of physical and mental health. “I really admire them,” he said.
Earlier, fascination with what is uniquely Sabah led Hugo to explore places like Kudat where the spectacular Tip of Borneo with its beautiful sunset almost took his breath away, and Tenom which boasts one of the largest garden parks in Malaysia. As he toured the iconic Sabah Agriculture Park, he was absolutely dazzled by a myriad of exotic flowering plants and fruit trees, not to mention the vegetable galore in the landscape there.
“Such fresh and diverse fruits in Tenom. It’s etched in my memory. I have shared my one-of-a-kind experience with my family, friends and fans back home,” he added.
