A total of 1,035 professional duathletes from 28 countries took part in the 10th Powerman Malaysia competition at the Manjung Municipal Council's Mini Sports Complex in Seri Manjung, recently.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (third from left) and State Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Hamidah Osman (second from left) with the Women’s Elite category winners.
Powerman Malaysia, sponsored by Malakoff, is a multi-sport run-bike-run event that is part of the International Powerman Series.
The event has been a roaring success, given that Powerman Malaysia is the only Asian qualifier for the annual Powerman World Championships in Zofingen, Switzerland.
Powerman Malaysia has seen a steady increase in the number of participants from various countries.
The inaugural race in 2002 saw 237 athletes but it has since swelled over the years. Last year, a veritable 950 participants from 30 countries came including Malaysia.
Belgian Rob Woestenborgh, who won the Men's Elite title on a hot and humid Sunday, said he was given a tough challenge by the various world-class competitors.
Woestenborgh, 35, said: "With so many top competitors, I knew that this race was a tough one.
"My hard work, dedication and months of strict training have paid off."
Meanwhile in the Women's Elite category, Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic, was crowned the winner for the third consecutive time.
The 27-year-old, who has been active in the duathlon for the last 10 years, said: "Given the humid weather and tough race course, I was surprised at my performance, having clocked in at three hours and three minutes.
"I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the race, and will look forward to next year's event."
Muhammad Amirul Hafiz, a 22-year-old Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia student, said: "The race was a challenge, given the demanding terrain and top-notch competitors.
"Doing well in this race has increased my overall confidence. Hearing words of support from my fellow Malaysians while racing was an extra push for me to excel in this race."
Enthusiastic fans of Powerman Malaysia and residents of Manjung braved the scorching heat in support of the racers as they sped through the terrain.
The participants competed for RM132,000 cash prizes in 18 categories.
The categories were Individual Long Distance, Malakoff Power Relay and Malakoff Sprint Duathlon. The Individual Long Distance consisted of 14 categories -- Men's Elite (20 and above), Women's Elite (20 and above), Men's 20-29, Women's 20-29, Men's 30-39, Women's 30-39, Men's 40-44, Women's 40-44, Men's 45-49, Women's 45- 49, Men's 50-59, Women's 50-59, Men's 60 and above, and Women's 60 and above.
The Malakoff Power Relay consisted of two subcategories, namely, Men's Relay and Mixed Relay while the Malakoff Sprint Duathlon consisted of Sprint Men's and Sprint Women's sub-categories.
At the event, Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali, the chairman of Malakoff, said: "We are pleased to note that Powerman Malaysia has grown steadily over the years both in terms of the number of duathletes as well as participating countries.
"Powerman Malaysia has now become synonymous with the sporting initiatives of our flagship CSR programme -- the Malakoff Community Partnerships.
"Malakoff has been the main sponsor of Powerman Malaysia for the last decade. This is certainly in line with Malakoff's objectives to promote community sports and bring together people of various backgrounds and nationalities in the spirit of competition and camaraderie."
Abdul Halim said with participants coming from Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA, Malakoff's efforts to help position Manjung as a tourist destination is bearing fruit.
Halim said for the last decade, Malakoff has been the title sponsor of Powerman Malaysia in partnership with the state government of Perak and the Manjung Municipal Council.
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