Strongman contest draws 29 participants
SARIKEI: Twenty-nine participants from five states in the country, including two from Brunei and one from Thailand, have confirmed their entries for the 3rd Sarawak Strongestman and Woman 2018 contest to be held here on Feb 24-25.
According to organising chairman Ricky Poh, 15 participants including two women are from Sarawak, five including one woman are from Sabah while Selangor, Johor and Perlis each represented by a male and female contestants.
The three participants from Brunei and Thailand will compete in the men’s category.
The third edition of the competition is the first to be held outside Kuching, Ricky said.
Sarikei has earned the honour to host the competition, which is sanctioned by Malaysia Strongestman Association, based on the interest shown by local youths toward the sport, he explained.
“We have organised 11 roadshows to promote the sport in various districts last year including four in Sarikei which received overwhelming response – over 20 entries,” he said.
“I believe this is the main reason why Sarikei had been picked to host this year’s Sarawak Strongestman and Woman contest,” he said at a press conference after chairing the organising committee’s meeting here yesterday.
The themes for the competition are ‘Men of Steel’ on the first day and ‘Log Challenge’ on the second day.
In the ‘Men of Steel’, the male participants will compete in Car Deadlift, Tyre Flip, Atlas Stone and Truck Pull while disciplines for ‘Log Challenge’ are Log Carry yoke, Log Frame and giant Log frame.
Meanwhile, the women’s participants will be tested in Car Deadlift, Tyre Flip and Atlas Stone disciplines on the first day.
On the second day, they will compete in Yoke, Farmer’s Walk and Loading Race events.
Prizes worth over RM20,000 are up for grabs, which Ricky believed is the highest ever offered in the competition.
Apart from lifting the Sarawak Strongestman 2018 title, champion in the men’s category will receive RM5,000, a trophy, medal and certificate.
First to fourth runners-up will get RM3,000, RM2,000, RM900 and RM800 respectively apart from trophy, medal and certificate.
Sixth to 10th placed finishers will each receive RM100, medal and certificate.
First to fifth placed winners in the women’s category will bring home RM3,000, RM2,000, RM1,000, RM800 and RM500 respectively apart from a trophy, medal and certificate of participation.
The best contestants will also receive incentives from the state government.
Fifth to 10th placed winners will get RM50, medal and certificate of participation.
The competition is co-organised the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, PBB Repok Youth, 1Malaysia Café, Dai Max Automobile, Iron Core, Echo and various government agencies.
Recording artistes would also be invited to entertain the crowd, Ricky added.
We have organised 11 roadshows to promote the sport in various districts last year. — Ricky Poh, organising chairman