SUKMA 2024: Miri ready to welcome visitors with blend of sports and tourism experience

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- As the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) approaches next month, Miri is ready to warmly welcome athletes, officials, and the public, offering a blend of sports and tourism experiences.

Embodying the proverb "killing two birds with one stone," visitors can not only witness six sporting events around Miri but also explore the beauty of the region, which boasts numerous exciting tourist attractions.

One of Miri's notable landmarks is Canada Hill, known for its historical significance and for housing The Grand Old Lady, a monument marking the start of Sarawak's oil industry in 1910.

Standing proud at 30 metres, Grand Old Lady is Malaysia's first oil well. It was drilled with cable tools and produced 660,000 barrels of oil over six decades before being decommissioned in 1972.

Its role as the backbone of the oil industry transformed Miri from a small fishing village in the 20th century into a modern and advanced city in the 21st century.

Visitors can also learn more about the history and development of the oil industry in Sarawak at the Petroleum Museum next to The Grand Old Lady.

The views from the top of Canada Hill are stunning with spectacular panoramas of sunrise and sunset, the Miri-Brunei border, and offshore oil platforms.  It is also a popular spot where locals head to jog and jungle trek.

Miri is approximately 26,777 square kilometres and has a population of 307,782.

“Miri is a tourist city with many attractions worth showcasing and visiting. There is Canada Hill with The Grand Old Lady, which was the first oil well in Miri, of course.

“Visitors can also go to Coco Cabana, which is adjacent to where the sailing event will be held at Marina Bay,” Miri Division Resident Jamalie Busri told Bernama in an exclusive interview at the Miri Division Resident Office recently.

Jamalie also suggested visiting several beaches such as Tanjung Lubang Beach, Luak Bay Beach, Tusan Beach, and Bungai Beach, as well as the Miri Crocodile Farm and Piasau Nature Reserve.

He said Miri offers various attractions for those who enjoy adventurous activities as well as shoppers with a range of places offering local products.

“For those interested in adventurous activities, Lambir Hills National Park and Niah National Park, are both approximately a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Miri.

“Miri is also home to UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mulu National Park, which features the stunning Cave of the Winds, and Deer Cave,” he said.

The Miri Handicraft Centre has attractive souvenirs and local crafts, while the Tamu Muhibbah market offers an array of local products such as Bario rice, Bario salt, black pepper, terubok fish, shrimp paste, and lots more, he added.

Meanwhile, he stated that Miri being one of the SUKMA 2024 venues is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy, particularly through the SUKMA Carnival, which will feature 60 sales booths, including market stalls selling local products, at the Miri City Stadium parking lot.

“The SUKMA Carnival will also include exhibitions from various agencies, tourism products, associations, and SUKMA 2024 merchandise.

“So, I encourage the public to come in large numbers to the SUKMA Carnival and support our athletes who will be competing,” he said.

Miri will be hosting six sporting events - sailing, rugby, pencak silat, karate, softball, and fencing - across seven venues, including Marina Bay, Miri Outdoor Stadium, Miri City Stadium, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, and Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara.

SUKMA 2024, scheduled from Aug 17 to 24, will be hosted across nine divisions: Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri.

This edition of the games will feature 488 events across 37 sports, comprising 236 men's events, 217 women's events, and 35 mixed-gender events, and is expected to gather 12,619 athletes and officials.

Introduced in 1986, SUKMA has been hosted by Sarawak twice previously, in 1990 and 2016.

-- BERNAMA