Astro in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (KPM), the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), and sponsors Universal Sports and VICTOR, have officially launched the first leg of the Astro Kem Badminton (AKB) Tour 2025 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Held at the Olympia Badminton Arena, the event drew more than 230 excited young participants, all showing incredible passion for the sport.

Sabah is the first stop in a four-state tour that will continue in Johor, Penang and Selangor. The energy at the event was high, especially with a special visit from YB Datuk Armizan bin Mohd Ali, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living. He joined in on the challenges, played a friendly match with Astro’s Group CEO Euan Smith, and spent time connecting with the young players during their training sessions.

AKB 2025 continues its mission to promote badminton among Malaysian youth, focusing on kids aged 10 to 12. The tour aims to discover emerging talent and give them the opportunity to grow through expert coaching and exciting experiences.

Top performers from each state will be invited to the KL Selection Camp in September, where they’ll train under professional guidance and compete for a chance to attend an exclusive training program at the Banthongyord Badminton School in Thailand this December.

“As Home of Sports, Astro believes our role goes beyond delivering world-class sports content to our audiences,” said Euan Smith, Astro’s Group CEO. “We are deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of Malaysian athletes by providing them with the right platforms to grow. By making badminton more accessible, inclusive, and aspirational, we're not just developing athletes, we're shaping confident, disciplined, and resilient young Malaysians.”

If you’re aged 10 to 12 (born between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015) and want to be part of AKB 2025, there’s still time to register for the upcoming camps in Johor, Penang, and Selangor. Just head to the LINK to sign up.