TAR UMT has stepped into the court alongside the Malaysia Volleyball Association (MAVA) after the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 6 March 2025 in order to help develop and elevate the level volleyball in Malaysia.

With this partnership, TAR UMT’s Kuala Lumpur campus is now one of the venues selected by MAVA to conduct centralised training programmes in preparation for major tournaments. In addition, TAR UMT’s volleyball student athletes will also be included in the selection process for the Malaysian national team.

Currently, 12 TAR UMT student athletes were shortlisted to be part of the selection process for the Southeast Asia (SEA) Games 2025 national volleyball squad.

The MoU was signed by Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, President of TAR UMT and Mr Hean Boon Yeow, President of MAVA, in the presence of TAR UMT officials, representatives of MAVA, and TAR UMT volleyball student athletes.

Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee (second from left) and Mr Hean (second from right) with the signed MoUs. Accompanying them are (from left) Dr Chook Ka Joo, Vice President of TAR UMT and Mr Franco Liu Foo Yeon, Vice President of MAVA and Chairman of MAVA Coaches Board Committee.

“We are honoured to open our doors to MAVA. Through this collaboration, we are not only supporting MAVA’s pursuit of greatness on and off the court, but also reinforcing TAR UMT’s role as a hub of innovation, training, and opportunity.

“Just as TAR UMT strives to cultivate leaders and changemakers, MAVA has dedicated itself to elevating volleyball as a sport of discipline, teamwork, and national pride. Together, we aim to create a synergy that will benefit our students, our athletes, and the community,” said Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee.

“We are grateful for this valuable opportunity to collaborate with TAR UMT and more importantly for their unwavering commitment and support towards the growth of Malaysian volleyball.

“As gracious hosts to MAVA’s activities like coaching and refereeing courses, as well as numerous volleyball tournaments like last year’s 22nd Concorde Asia-MILO Malaysia Youth U16 Volleyball National Championship, TAR UMT’s top-notch volleyball courts and facilities have earned compliments from my team and parents of players who visited their Kuala Lumpur campus.

“We will do our best and with the support from TAR UMT, we aim to elevate the sport in Malaysia to new heights, and perhaps produce national-level players in the near future,” said Mr Hean.

Through this MoU, TAR UMT’s support towards Malaysia’s volleyball development has pivoted from state level to national level. Previously, TAR UMT signed two MoUs with the Kuala Lumpur Volleyball Association (KLVA) in 2017 and 2023 with a similar aim of leveraging both organisations’ knowledge, strength and resources to enhance the overall quality of the sport.