KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysians from across the nation put their strength to the test to prove they were the nation’s best and to become the Malaysian obstacle warrior champion at the Obstacle Warrior 2021 National Championships.
The finals of the Obstacle Warrior National Championships saw superhuman performances of strength and agility as contestants navigated their way through challenging larger-than-life obstacles.
With only a short window for each participant to complete the course, this clearly was not a brain-versus-brawn situation as contestants had to use both mental and physical abilities to complete the course in the quickest possible time.
Designed and developed in accordance with international standard obstacle courses, Escape Petaling Jaya showcased 22 different obstacles with various difficulty levels.
In a blistering performance of boundless speed and strength, number one male ranked obstacle race champion and triple SEA Games silver medallist 33-year-old Mohd Redha Bin Rozlan (or Mat Redho as he is commonly known) put in a blistering performance with a time of 1.56.90.
He was followed by 26-year-old, up-and-coming talent Muhamad Adib bin Nor Akhsan, who put in a very competitive time of 2.23.12.
A talent originally unearthed from UITM Shah Alam, Adib, who ranked fifth in the previous national championships and was at the top of the competition ranking going into the finals, was unfortunately not able to match the experience and maturity of Mat Redho.
Kayden Lee Borhan, who at only 18 years old is a total newcomer to the sport of obstacle racing, recorded a very impressive time of 2.45.32 to finish in third place.
Meanwhile, in the female category − although the placings were very close − experience paid off in the end for 30-year-old national women’s 5km champion and SEA Games silver medallist Yip Hui Teng, who put in a stellar performance to clock in at 4.26.19.
She was closely followed by 27-year-old rookie Chen Shin Yee, who recorded a time of 4.35.03, and 21-year-old Renee Tan − currently the number one Women’s Rookie and breakout star of the National Championships − who notched a time of 4.37.03.
The Youth category saw equally impressive performances from a number of male and female youths, including many newcomers to the sport.
For the male category, 15-year-old Jules Mangin pushed the limits to lead the field setting a time of 3.55.75.
He was followed closely by 16-year-old Zachary Liew Pui Hin and 15-year-old Aideen Bin Nordin.
Meanwhile, accomplished female youth athlete Shareen Mohd Nasran led the females − clocking in a time of 4.40.95 − followed by rookies 17-year-old Andrea Lee Jian Ern at 7.38.43 and 15-year-old Calina Louise Parker at 8.10.81.
Owned and managed by World Sports Entertainment Sdn Bhd, the event saw the winners in each of the three categories (male, female and youth) share RM5,000 in prize money − split RM1,000, RM500 and RM250 respectively − with the youth male and female categories split equally.
Sanctioned by the Malaysian Obstacle Race Sports Association (MORSA) and approved by the National Sports Council, Escape Petaling Jaya and Paradigm Mall are the host venue for this year’s event via a strategic collaboration between event owner and promoter World Sports Entertainment Sdn Bhd and Sim Leisure Group, who designed and built the international standard obstacle course within the Escape Petaling Jaya attraction.
Sharing his comments, World Sports Entertainment executive director Andrew Ng said: “We were truly impressed with the quality of performances we saw at the finals over the weekend. I was particularly encouraged by the competitiveness displayed by many of the younger newcomers to the sport, which shows it has a bright future in Malaysia.”
Meanwhile, MORSA president Alex Cheah also conveyed his gratitude, saying: “I would like to offer my sincere thanks to World Sports Entertainment for staging such a professional event and to all the partners who helped make the event possible, especially the Youth and Sports Ministry, National Sports Council, Sim Leisure Group and Paradigm Mall.
“Also, thank you for always believing in the spirit of sportsmanship and having a profound passion and love for this sport.”
Those interested can find out more about the event at www.obstacle-warrior.com. – The Vibes, December 21, 2021
