S’wak’s challenging terrain ideal for mountain biking

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GOOD LUCK: Gramong shakes hands with the riders at the starting line. Behind him is Alexander and Sim.

SIBU: Mountain biking has plenty of room to grow in Sarawak whose challenging terrain is a big draw for the sport, a top Brunei rider said.

Muhammad Raihan Abdul Aziz, who has represented the Sultanate in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, believed the state has a lot to offer the sport with its myriad of trying jungle trails, including hilly and swampy tracks.

“These can be explored and improved to attract international riders and promote Sarawak as a mountain biking venue,” he said.

Some riders had even described Sarawak as mountain bike heaven, he added during the Sarawak Bukit Memaloh Kanowit Mountain Bike Challenge 2011 in Kanowit at the weekend.

The event from July 23 to 24 was jointly organised by the Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry, the Kanowit District Office, the Sarawak Extreme Sports Association and the Sarawak State Sports Council to promote Bukit Memaloh and encourage locals to use bicycles.

Bukit Memaloh got its name from the Memaloh tribe who, according to local folklore, tried to build a tower next to a Tapang tree on the hill to get to the moon.

The tower collapsed half-way through construction and the Memaloh workers in it all perished.

Fifty riders took part in the Memaloh Kanowit Mountain Bike Challenge 2011.

Brunei riders took the top two spots with Muhamad Raihan winning the men’s open category and taking home RM1,500, a medal and a certificate of participation, and Mohd Norjamri Johari, also a SEA Games rider, finishing as runner-up to pocket RM1,000.

Nur Affendi Rosli from Kuala Lumpur was in third spot and received RM500.

In the women’s open category, Pahang’s Sukma rider Siti Aisyah Alias was the champion with two Sibu riders – Hii Yieng Nyuk and Choo Ngiik Hung – in second and third spots.

Assistant Minister of Rural Development Datuk Gramong Juna and Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent gave away the prizes. Also present were Sibu Resident Sim Kok Kee and state administrative officer Jabang Juntan.