MyCEB team ready to add steel to Ironman’s return to Langkawi

The island of Langkawi in Malaysia will host the Ironman 70.3 Langkawi event for a sixth time on 26 October. Supported by Malaysian Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and Arts & Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), this year’s event will again showcase the country‘s ability to host international events. Langkawi, which has been ranked among the  top 10 most popular islands in the world, will offer participants a challenging course through lush tropical rainforests with wet, hilly and demanding terrain. The course will follow a Malaysian cultural journey that passes through stretches of white sandy beaches, local villages, endless mangrove clusters, flora and fauna inhabited serene vistas that are hot and humid. MyCEB has been gathering the strengths of personnel from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and members of corporate sectors for a team of athletes to wear the MyCEB armbands throughout the event. “Last year, around 5,800 participants gathered for Ironman Langkawi, an event bringing in around RM16.5m (US$3.95min tourist expenditure. This year, it is forecast to bring in RM20.9m in tourist expenditure to the country,” said Datuk Zulkefli Hj. Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of MyCEB who was speaking at the presentation of armbands to representatives from the MyCEB team at their office. The Ironman Triathlon series of extreme sports is an iconic endurance event that has been drawing international competitors and interest since its inception in 1978. As part of the Wanda Sports Group, headquartered in Beijing, the Ironman brand has grown and now has a global roster of 230 events across 57 countries. The hosting of Ironman Langkawi is part of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign and MOTAC’s plans to achieve 30 million tourist arrivals by 2020.