Bandar Seri Begawan - The many national sport associations in the country have been urged to organise activities in conjunction with International Women's Day, following in the footsteps of the International Table Tennis Federation that marked the happy occasion yesterday.

This was highlighted by Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, in her speech during the opening of the Friendship Trophy 2013 (Table Tennis) yesterday morning at the Menglait Sports Complex.

To launch the Friendship Trophy 2013, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina made the first serve of the tournament.

The one-day event was organised by the Brunei Amateur Table Tennis Association (BATTA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports added, "It's undeniable that women are competing in various sports around the world and I would like to express my congratulations and appreciation to the Brunei Amateur Table Tennis Association for organising such an event."

Meanwhile, in a separate speech, Hj Damit bin Hj Abdul Rahman, the President of BATTA, said, "This is the third consecutive time that the Friendship Trophy has been organised with the aim of ensuring women have equal opportunity to participate in sports in a safe and supportive environment.

"In addition to preserving the sport, it increases the involvement of women in table tennis at all levels, while encouraging the women to contribute their time, knowledge and experience to the development of table tennis.