KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Last week, more than 100 participants of various age groups and fitness levels came for the first IKO Malaysia Open 2024 Kuala Lumpur kettlebell tournament at PassionFit KL on Saturday.
These participants, hailing from 14 countries including the US, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and the Philippines, included first-timers as well as seasoned lifters and ranged in ages from 22 to 66..
The inclusivity demonstrated that the sport is not just about physical prowess but also about mental readiness.
The atmosphere at the venue, located at The Linc KL, was electrifying, with excitement filling the air as spectators cheered vigorously for each participant.
Sixty-six-year-old Singaporean first-timer Mary Chua received roaring cheers when she completed her 10-minute round with 191 reps, which earned her Rank 1 in the tournament.
The retiree who participated with her daughter said she started lifting kettlebells just three months ago and wanted to challenge herself at the tournament.
“Afterwards I had a sense of achievement, and it was quite fun.”
A few years ago, Chua was involved in a head-on accident where her left hand was severely injured.
“I couldn’t even do one rep before, but with consistent training I managed to slowly build up.”
Next, Chua will be competing at Hong Kong’s kettlebell tournament in November.
Another participant Muk Venkataraman, who came from Hong Kong in a group of 10, set a new rank with 32kgs, the heaviest weight in the tournament.
Muk, a seasoned kettlebell lifter since 2009, managed to achieve a new rank called Candidate Master of Sport (CMS) in Men Snatch — Professional after hitting 78 reps with the 32kg-kettlebell.
The one-day tournament saw only seven participants achieving the CMS rank with Muk hitting the rank with the heaviest weight.
The 44-year-old personal trainer and stand-up comedian said he has participated in various tournaments between 2011 and 2016 before pausing for a few years.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic started, I was stuck at home and thought I could just lift kettlebells again in my living room. It’s fun and I enjoy it.”
The tournament’s format challenged participants to complete as many repetitions as possible within a 10-minute window, testing their strength, endurance, and mental fortitude.
Participants had the option to choose a kettlebell weight ranging from 8kg to 32kg, with categories tailored to match different levels of ability and experience.
This flexibility allowed athletes to compete at various levels of challenge, making the event accessible to a broad range of participants.
The emphasis on mental readiness over physical strength was evident, as participants needed to pace themselves, maintain focus and manage their energy throughout the intensive 10-minute round.
Tournament director Ritzal Shawn expressed his delight with the event’s success and said the turnout was great.
“We were sold out on the same day we opened for public registration.
“Initially we were expecting about 80 participants but we received over 100 registrations from here and across the world.
“We had participants who flew in from many places like the US, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Philippines just for the competition.”
Due to space limitations, Ritzal said they couldn’t accept additional in-person registrations, but allowed some international participants to join via online submission.
“We are glad to see the many gyms and teams joining our inaugural event.
“We are still learning about many things and will plan to scale it for the next tournaments.”
Ritzal said their main aim was to create a community and bring fitness enthusiasts together to learn about kettlebell tournaments.
The competition was divided into 17 categories and monitored by approximately 60 local and international judges.
The tournament was organised by Bunga Raya Kettlebell Club, which was established by a group of fitness enthusiasts who formed a community in 2021 to lift kettlebells.
Some of the members including Ritzal and Cyril Tan were competing in Hong Kong last November and that was where the idea to host a similar event in Malaysia first sparked.
“It’s very rare to see a kettlebell community in the fitness industry,” said Tan, who was the title sponsor for IKO Malaysia Open 2024 Kuala Lumpur.
The 57-year-old tech entrepreneur said he has been involved with the sport for many years and enjoys being part of the community.
“What I like about a kettlebell community is that it is for any age group regardless whether they are professional or a first-timer.”
Moving forward, Tan said he plans to inject new ideas into the tournament format and build the community in Malaysia.
