Samarahan Bike Challenge 2017 March 18-19
KUCHING: Samarahan Bike Challenge 2017 will start and end at Summer Mall in Jalan Datuk Mohd Musa, Kota Samarahan on March 18-19.
The bike challenge themed ` The Road Warrior’ this year is organised by DTTG Samarahan, Samarahan District Office and Sarawak Bicycle Association. It is supported by the Ministry Of Tourism, Arts and Culture .
Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this kind of sports event is getting popular in the state and country.
It had been held three times - 2013, 2015 and 2016 - and is on the Sarawak Tourism Calendar, he said at a press conference on the event held at his ministry here yesterday.
“The uniqueness of the event is that it has attracted amateur and professional riders not only from Sarawak but Peninsular Malaysia and neighbouring Indonesia, namely West Kalimantan as well,” he said.
Karim also disclosed that champion of the previous year’s bike challenges will be invited to compete.
The uniqueness of the event is that it has attracted amateur and professional riders not only from Sarawak but Peninsular Malaysia and neighbouring Indonesia, namely West Kalimantan as well.
The objective of the event is to boost the sport to youths to make Kota Samarahan a sport tourism destination, produce new talent, make it a destination in criterium bike event (around closed circuit), bring a pool of cyclists - professional, amateur, national and junior - to race competitively and involve young people in useful activities during their free time.
“We have to date 21 teams and expect to have 200 local and foreign riders. There will five categories - Men Elite 42 km criterium ` The Road Warrior’, Veteran All Star 36 km criterium, Sarawak Close Criterium of 42 km, Junior men criterium 30 km, and women criterium 30 km.
“The total prize money for the bike challenge is RM11,000, participation fees is RM60 and a t- shirt will be given to each participant. The closing date for entry is March 16.
Karim also revealed that on March 18, there will be a 5km Fun Run, Men and Women 8km Run with prize money totalling RM1,900.
“For more information on the run, contact Kassim Wan Zain at 082- 671105,” he said.
Beside the bike and running event, there will be exhibitions by various agencies on services available at Kota Samarahan, colouring contest, megathon competition, workshop on capoeira martial art and ping pong competition.
He urged those interested in the sports to join the weekend events and enliven it.
Present at the press conference were Samarahan District Officer Mohd Aini Wahap, Samarahan police traffic chief ASP Jekeng Nyadei, Civil Defence Force chief Samarahan Lt Ahmad Shahfikri Darus and others.
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports