KUCHING: Kuching marked a historical achievement when it successfully won the bid to host Interhash 2028, thus positioning Sarawak as the destination of choice for one of the largest and most prestigious international hashing events in the world.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that Interhash 2028 is the main gathering of the 'Hash House Harriers' community which is held every two years and brings together thousands of hash members from over 50 countries and over 450 hash branches around the world.
According to him, from 14 to 16 July 2028, Kuching is expected to receive up to 4,000 hash participants from all over the world with four main categories that will be contested, namely 'Bold Breaker Run' for a distance of 26 to 28 kilometres, Long Run for a distance of seven to 10 kilometres, Medium Run for a distance of five to seven kilometres and Short Run for a distance of three to five kilometres.
"This event is expected to generate approximately RM12 million in tourism receipts for Sarawak, thereby making a significant contribution to the accommodation, transport, tourism provider, food and beverage, retail and community-based enterprises sectors.
"The handicraft industry will also benefit because most visitors will definitely want to bring home souvenirs such as baskets, beads and local products as souvenirs from Kuching and Sarawak," he said in the Interhash press conference at Baitulmakmur Building 2 on Thursday.
He added that over the next two years, the Interhash 2028 Organising Committee led by the Kuching City Hash Club will carry out an extensive international promotional campaign through major hash events and a series of promotional tours around the world.
He said, this effort will put Sarawak in front of thousands of potential visitors and strengthen the state's reputation as a major cultural and adventure tourism destination in Southeast Asia.
In addition, the Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development said that Interhash also featured a charity element through the organisation of the Red Dress Charity Run which was held the day before the main event with all proceeds from the programme going directly to local charities.
Commenting on the security aspect, Dato Sri Abdul Karim stressed that all event organisers must bear a great responsibility in ensuring the safety of the participants is always guaranteed.
According to him, the community's interest in running activities in Sarawak is increasing, whether it is marathons, recreational runs or hash events, but the safety aspect must be prioritised.
"Identify where the routes are used and so on. Those who want to climb must also register in advance.
"This is especially for mountain climbing or trekking in the forest that can cause participants to get lost or go missing.
"But if the run is held on the roads in the city, I think that is unlikely but all the organisers need to be responsible to ensure that any unwanted incidents do not happen to the participants who come to participate in the event," he emphasised.
He stressed that the use of a sweeper team alone is not enough, instead implementing a more
comprehensive monitoring mechanism including periodic inspections along the route to ensure that each participant can be tracked throughout the event.
For him, the safety of visitors and participants who visit Sarawak is a shared responsibility that must be prioritised by all parties involved.
Also present were Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Morshidi Frederick, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Sarawak Jason Tan Chin Foo and Co-Chairmen of the Interhash 2028 Organising Committee Robin Kho and Chris Chai. -UKASnews
Prepared By: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Translator: Nerissa Sia
