MALAYSIA: OVER 60 COMPETITORS TAKE PART IN EVENT TO FIND KUALA LUMPUR'S STRONGEST PERSON

Record ID: 859383

  • Title: MALAYSIA: OVER 60 COMPETITORS TAKE PART IN EVENT TO FIND KUALA LUMPUR'S STRONGEST PERSON
  • Date: 24th January 2002
  • Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) SPORTS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR GENERAL MADZRIB BRAHIM SAYING: "We can say the Badang contest is like the ironman contest or the world's strongest man and woman in the world. We want this project to have local elements."
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
  • City:
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA10J16RSTCACC8F40D13AFTCG0
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Malaysia's sports authorities have launched a local ironman competition inspired by a legendary Malay warrior who tradition says gained his strength from eating a spirit's vomit.
    On a sunny Sunday (January 13) afternoon in Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, more than 50 men and 10 women grunted and heaved for the title as the country's strongest person.
    They competed in a series of events, including throwing logs and carrying bags of sand, in a competition named Badang after a legendary Malay warrior who gained his strength from eating a spirit's vomit.
    Malay legend says Badang lived in the Johore sultanate, north of Singapore, who used his strength for the good of the people.
    Malaysian sports authorities devised the competition with seven events for men to encourage a healthy lifestyle for the country of 23 million population.
    The events were throwing logs, carrying sand bags, carrying pails of water, rockface climbing, pulling trucks, holding one's breath under water and pulling a raft across a lake in the city's Titiwangsa park.
    Malaysia's sports department director-general Madzrib Ibrahim said the competition is to encourage people to take up recreational sports and maintain their fitness.
    "We can say the Badang contest is like the ironman contest or the world's strongest man and woman in the world. We want this project to have local elements," said Madzrib Ibrahim.
    Female participants took part in fewer events but were as gung ho as their male counterparts.
    "The hardest event is carrying the sand bags but my favourite is rock climbing because its easier," said competitor Sofia Mohamed Sharif.
    The men tried their hand at various events with the crowd favourite being the truck pulling event. Each competitor had to pull the truck for 50 metres.
    One of the competitors, Loh Khee Sang, pulled the truck in record time.
    "Strength games, I have an interest in it. It's because there isn't many strength games in Malaysia. In overseas, there are heaps of it," said Loh Khee Sang.
    The crowd at the park cheered and applauded as the each of the competitors successfully pulled the truck for the required distance.
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