THE Sabah edition of the Kuala Lumpur 2017 Torch Run organised in conjunction with the 29th SEA Games and the 9th ASEAN Para Games (also known as Kuala Lumpur 2017 or KL2017) created history when the Torch was taken to the summit of Mount Kinabalu on 5 June 2017.
The occasion was made even more remarkable when the Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin himself led and participated in the expedition. The group of climbers began their ascend to Mount Kinabalu from Timpohon Gate, Kinabalu Par.
Accompanying the Minister of Youth and Sports are 23 other climbers, including Ranau Icons Safrey Sumping, the Champion of Kinabalu Climbathon 2016 as well as Junaydie Sihan and Jomius Binte, the two guides who were involved in the search and rescue operation during the 2015 Mount Kinabalu earthquake.
Also in the expedition were two members of the public, Mark Jinmin and Muhammad Nadzrul Faiz bin Nazli who were selected to join the group of climbers via a lucky draw. Earlier, Khairy had tweeted an invitation to members of the public to submit their interest in joining the expedition and announced that two lucky Malaysians would be selected.
The gimmick at Mount Kinabalu is one of the unique attractions in the KL2017 Torch Run series as the run sets its own record for taking on the highest mountain in Southeast Asia.
Apart from taking the KL2017 Torch up to Mount Kinabalu, there are several other unique gimmicks that will be featured in the KL2017 Torch Run across the country.
The run in Sabah traverses through several main districts including Ranau, Keningau, Tawau, Sandakan, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Sipitang.
Overall, the KL2017 Torch Run in the “Land Below the Wind (Negeri Di Bawah Bayu)” covers a distance of over 30 kilometers and is set to end on 8 June 2017.
The KL2017 Torch Run is organised by MASOC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the cooperation of the State Department of Youth and Sports as a prelude to KL2017.
It is one of the initiatives to boost the spirit of Rising Together among the people across the nation leading up to the Games. The KL2017 Torch was custom designed by Royal Selangor. The KL2017 Torch Run commenced on 13 May 2017 and is scheduled to end on 12 August 2017. KL2017 will take place from 19th to 30th August 2017 for the 29th SEA Games and 17th to 23rd September 2017 for the 9th ASEAN Para Games.