POPIC IS PAHANG’S NEW SIGNATURE

PEKAN, 8 September – The Pahang state government intends to organize an international canoe race – the Pahang Ocean Paddle International Challenge (POPIC) which will be held for the first time this year as an annual sporting event in the state.

State Tourism, Culture, Environment, Plantation and Commodity Exco, Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said that the organization of the world-class championship can indirectly boost sports tourism activities in Pahang.

“God willing, if we receive positive feedback from this year’s POPIC, we will make this international canoe race an annual event as the new signature of the state of Pahang.

“We have 240 kilometers of beaches in Pahang. So we want to introduce our beaches such as Pantai Hiburan in Rompin, Pantai Legenda in Pekan in addition to Pantai Balok, Pantai Cherating and Pantai Teluk Cempedak in Kuantan to the local community and foreign tourists.

“That is why we chose the attractive and clean beaches for them to come to the state of Pahang in addition to catch a sight of this international canoe race, thus being able to promote Pahang to the world,” he said in a press conference at Pantai Lagenda on Thursday.

Before that, Mohd Sharkar representing the Chief Minister of Pahang, Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail officiated the POPIC 2022 and presented medals to the winners of Stage 2 of the tournament which attracted the participation of approximately 240 participants from home and abroad.

“The state government is proud to be able to organize this international canoe race for the first time, which I understand has foreign participants from several countries such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

“In fact, with the presence of visitors including from abroad, we are expected to be able to generate income of RM3 million to RM4 million for organizing this race. It is a good thing even though this race is only held for the first time in Pahang.

“We have to take a bold step by making the canoe industry (sports organization) a signature in Pahang. Once established, this tournament can be well known like (the world’s premier cycling race) Tour de France one day,” he explained.

POPIC 2022 which offers a total prize money of RM300,000 competes in seven categories – men’s and women’s international SS; men’s TK1 national: men’s and women’s TK2 national and men’s and women’s inter varsity.

Stage 1 was held at Pantai Hiburan followed by Stage 2 at Pantai Legenda; Stage 3 at Pantai Balok, Kuantan; Stage 4 at Pantai Cherating, Kuantan and Stage 5 at Pantai Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan.

ADIB LAUNG AMARAN AWAL

ROMPIN, 7 September – Wakil Pahang, Mohd Adib Kamaruzrizan muncul pendahulu kategori kebangsaan TK1 lelaki selepas muncul juara Peringkat 1 Kejuaraan Pahang Ocean Paddle International Challenge 2022 (POPIC 2022) di Pantai Hiburan di sini pada Rabu.

Dalam perlumbaan sejauh 14 kilometer itu, Adib merekodkan masa keseluruhan 1 jam 14 minit 05.35 saat bagi meninggalkan dua pencabar terdekatnya – Daing Sulaiman Daing Suhaimi (1’14:50.58s) dan Freddy Anggang (1’15:51.36s).

“Syukur alhamdulillah saya berjaya memenangi perlumbaan hari ini. Cuma cabaran utama yang saya hadapi pada perlumbaan hari ini adalah ombak kerana saya sudah lama tak bersaing dalam acara TK1 di laut.

“Bagi perlumbaan Peringkat 2 di Pekan esok, saya akan cuba mengekalkan momentum ini untuk terus berada di tempat pertama. Paling penting, mental kena kuat kerana saya sedar cabaran daripada peserta Terengganu dan PDRM,” katanya.

Selaku juara peringkat, Adib yang kini berusia 24 tahun meraih wang tunai RM800 manakala Daing Sulaiman dan Freddy masing-masing membawa pulang RM500 dan RM300 selaku pemenang tempat kedua dan ketiga.

Sementara itu, gandingan berpengalaman, Ahmad Azfaruddin Lukman-Imam Sujadi Satta dan pasangan adik beradik, Nor Azita-Nursaibah Syahida Ibrahim menepati ramalan apabila masing-masing menjuarai kategori kebangsaan TK2 lelaki dan wanita.

Azfaruddin-Imam Sujadi mengesahkan kemenangan apabila merakam masa keseluruhan 1:09:54.23s manakala Nor Azita-Nursaibah merekodkan catatan 1:17:57.32s bagi membolehkan kedua-dua gandingan itu muncul pendahulu Peringkat 1.

“Kami tidak boleh berasa selesa kerana perbezaan masa hanya kira-kira 2s dan jaraknya lebih kurang 500 meter. Jadi kami akan cuba mengekalkan rentak pada Peringkat 2 esok untuk terus kekal sebagai pendahulu,” jelas Azfaruddin.

Juara peringkat bagi kategori TK2 lelaki dan wanita membolot wang tunaiRM1,500 manakala pemenang tempat kedua dan ketiga masing-masing menerima RM1,000 dan RM500.

Bagi kategori inter-varsiti lelaki, juara milik Tuan Muhamad Hidzam Tuan Dolah-Mohd Azman Ibrahim (UNISZA); naib juara Muhammad Farhan Haqimi Abdul Latiff-Mohamad Faiz Rosdin (UTHM) dan pemenang tempat ketiga Mohamad Izzat-Muhammad Hafizi (UNISZA).

Bagi kategori inter-varsiti wanita, wakil UTHM, Alya Athirah Shaharaziz-Nur Aleya Nafisha Norhanafi muncul juara diikuti Yusriyah Athirah-Nor Natasha Mohd Yusuf (UPSI) dan Nur Amira Syafiqah Rosli-Ain Syuhadah Zulkifli (UTHM).

Juara kategori inter-varsiti lelaki dan wanita meraih wang tunai RM1,000 manakala pemenang tempat kedua dan ketiga masing-masing membawa pulang RM800 dan RM400.

Kategori antarabangsa SS1 yang menjadi tumpuan utama POPIC 2022 menyaksikan bekas juara dunia dari Afrika Selatan, Dawid Mockie dan Danielle McKenzie dari New Zealand masing-masing mengungguli saingan lelaki dan wanita.

Namun, kejutan berlaku apabila pelumba wanita tempatan, Aimi Ayuni Azwan berjaya menduduki tempat ketiga – ketinggalan di belakang pemenang tempat kedua, Irin Neegree.

Juara peringkat kategori antarabangsa SS1 lelaki dan wanita membolot wang tunai RM3,000 manakala pemenang tempat kedua dan ketiga masing-masing meraih RM2,000 dan RM1,000.

Selepas berakhirnya saingan di Pantai Hiburan, perlumbaan Peringkat 2 POPIC 2022 – kejohanan kanu antarabangsa yang julung-julung kali diadakan di Pahang akan berlangsung di Pantai Lagenda, Pekan pada Khamis.