ALOR SETAR, Sept 13 — Malaysia will host the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the very first time with the support of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) at Langkawi Island on October 7.

Regional Director of Asia for The Ironman Group, CG Lim said hosting the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the first time in Malaysia is a testament to the country’s commitment to promoting the sports of triathlon.

"This event that will mark a significant milestone for triathlon in the region will not only showcase the incredible talent of the triathlon community but also highlight the exceptional natural beauty of Langkawi Island.

"We’re grateful to the local authorities and communities for their support in making this event possible,” he said in a statement here, today.

Acting chief executive officer of MyCEB, Zain Azrai Rashid in the same statement said that MyCEB that representing the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) is delighted to announce their inaugural support for this year’s prestigious Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship.

"Since its inception in 1978, this iconic world championship triathlon event, organised by the esteemed Ironman Group with over 230 events spanning 57 countries, has chosen Malaysia particularly the beautiful island of Langkawi, as its host for the seventh time.

"In line with this, MyCEB anticipates the warm welcome of 4,760 local and international attendees who are expected to contributing a substantial amount of RM15 million to Malaysia’s International Sporting Events Industry,” he said.

After a hiatus of several years, Langkawi will once again welcome professional athletes, marking their return to Malaysian shores since 2019 and the event has already garnered interest from athletes with more than 1,200 triathletes already committed.

Professional athletes will go head-to-head for a prize purse of US$75,000 (RM350,000) with some of the top triathletes from across the region to take on the 1.9 kilometer (km) swim, 90km bicycle ride and 21.1km run.

Additionally, the event will provide athletes with the opportunity to secure their spot in the 2024 VinFast Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which will be held in Taupō, New Zealand where a total of 40 age-group qualifying slots will be up for grabs.

Meanwhile, 20 qualifying slots will be available for the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii for the male athletes and 50 qualifying slots for Nice, France for the female athletes. — Bernama