PUTRAJAYA, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Mountaineering Federation (PMM) is actively preparing to host the ASEAN Climbing Championships, which is expected to be held in early July.
Its President Mohd Zaidi Kamaruddin said the championships is a crucial journey to nurture new talent, give climbers exposure and develop a national team of climbers.
"Organised for the first time, the championships would be a series of competitions to get our climbers ready for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand," he told Bernama when met at the National Sports Climbing - Boulder Series 1/2025, here today.
He said the championships is aimed at providing valuable experience for climbers in real competition settings considering sending them for training abroad is expensive.
Among the countries expected to participate in the ASEAN Climbing Chairmanships are Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Brunei
He said PMM will also scout for talent apart from training the climbers as the federation aims for at least one national climbing athlete to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
He said with the efforts currently being undertaken by the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), National Sports Council (MSN), PMM is confident of producing more international-level athletes and competing on the world stage in climbing sports.
Meanwhile, PMM Deputy President Mohd Akbal Amin said the development of climbing sport still faces challenges in terms of facilities and funding.
"We see the lack of facilities, especially for boulder and lead wall events, as a major challenge. However, we are striving to ensure that climberses receive the best training through a centralised training program for two weeks before competing in the ASEAN Championships in early July," he said.
He said to enhance competitiveness, Malaysian athletes are also targeted to undergo regional training alongside advanced climbing nations such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia.
"However, financial constraints remain a challenge in sending athletes abroad for intensive training," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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