KLWC Partners With Challenge Malaysia 2026 To Promote Sports Tourism, Active Lifestyle

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- KL Wellness City (KLWC) has announced its partnership with Challenge Malaysia 2026, an international triathlon event aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s sports tourism sector and promoting an active lifestyle.

The launch of Challenge Malaysia 2026 was officiated by Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, in the presence of KLWC executive director Datuk Seri Dr Vincent Tiew, Challenge Malaysia director Yeang Lim Hooi Yen, members of KLWC and other industry partners.

Tiew said the partnership with Challenge Malaysia was significant, as both initiatives shared similar and strong values of long-term commitment and sustainability in Malaysia.

“Challenge Malaysia may be in its third year in Malaysia, but globally, it has been established for decades across 27 countries. In that sense, we see Challenge Malaysia as a growing international event in Malaysia, just like KL Wellness City is a growing international wellness township,” he told the media during a press conference in conjunction with the launch here yesterday.

He also said that KLWC’s ecosystem prioritised mental health, physical wellbeing and holistic care, making the collaboration with an endurance-based multisport event highly relevant.

“Endurance is not about a short sprint. It is about persistence, discipline and long-term sustainability. Building a 26.5-acre (10 hectares) wellness township requires the same endurance, strategy and commitment as a triathlon, which is why this partnership resonates strongly with our vision of integrating wellness beyond healthcare facilities,” he said.

Adding to the significance of the launch, Tiew shared that he would be participating in all three Challenge events this year, including Challenge Taiwan in April, Challenge Roth in Germany in July and Challenge Malaysia on Oct 18, while five other athletes would be joining him for Challenge Taiwan.

Speaking on medical tourism, Tiew noted that Malaysia had seen a rise in international patients, particularly in January this year, driven by regional factors such as stability issues in Thailand and Myanmar, which had prompted patients from Cambodia and Myanmar to seek treatment in Malaysia’s private hospitals. 

He also highlighted an increase in medical tourists from Singapore, citing the stronger Singapore dollar as a factor encouraging more Singaporeans to seek healthcare in Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Penang and Johor.

Meanwhile, Challenge Malaysia Race director Aldrian Yeo said that Malaysia continued to gain attraction as a preferred destination for international triathlon events.

“Challenge Malaysia 2026, will once again be hosted in Forest City, Johor. It offers a beautiful course with proximity to the beach and sea for the swimming leg, safe roads suitable for long-distance cycling and diverse accommodation options ranging from budget to five-star, to cater to all participants. 

“We also have strong support from the State Government, City Council (MBJB) and PDRM, and the location is easily accessible, being close to Singapore and Senai International Airport makes it easy for international athletes to attend,” he said, adding that this year’s event was targeting 800 participants from local and international markets, compared to 550 athletes recorded last year.

Additionally, Yeo said this year’s Challenge would introduce a new race - the Olympic-distance category - alongside the existing sprint and middle-distance races. 

“So this year, we are introducing another format, which is the Olympic-distance category, that consists of a 1.5 kilometre (km) swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run, while the middle-distance race covers a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21km run, including the sprint-distance race, which covers 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run,” he said.

The event also includes a kids triathlon, which consists of a 100-200m swim, 4-8km bike ride and 1-2km run for children aged seven to 15, making it accessible to athletes of all ages and abilities.

One of the sponsored athletes by KLWC, Kyo Ikuyo, 48, shared that participating in a triathlon event had helped him deal with stress and improve his mental well-being.

“After returning to Malaysia in 2018, I was struggling with depression and didn’t have friends or support to help me overcome it. So I started running and got sweaty to release my stress.

“For those of you who are struggling with the same problem as me, I highly encourage you to join. You don’t need to be an athlete to participate. You can start small, and with discipline and consistency, you can definitely reach the finish line,” Kyo told Bernama.

Another sponsored athlete, Tan Hui Jin, 33, said that her main goal this year was to break her personal best in the full-distance triathlon.

“Preparing for Challenge Taiwan requires great discipline. I have to balance my work while training every day, especially on weekends, but my main goal is to beat my personal record and complete the race in under 12 hours,” she said.

-- BERNAMA