The second World Ranking Event (WRE) hosted by Malaysia took place in Kuantan last weekend. Orienteers from 10 countries/regions joined one of the largest orienteering events in Southeast Asia.
The WRE is part of the Tropical Orienteering Week, a cooperation between the Malaysian Orienteering Federation and ORIEN.ASIA. The O-Week includes eight races over ten days, the first half of which has ended with a sprint in Taman Bandar (city park) on Monday. Among the participants are orienteers from Scandinavia and Hong Kong; they are staying for the entire O-Week and are using the opportunity to explore the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Kuantan is the capital of the state of Pahang, and faces the South China Sea. Besides Malays, it is also home to a large Cantonese-speaking population. The main driver of orienteering development in Kuantan is Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (POLISAS), where teachers and students are enthusiastic in orienteering. Kuantan is not particularly known for tourism, but its pristine beaches, like Teluk Cempedak and Tanjung Lumpur, provide a good opportunity to attract more travellers in the future.
Malaysia will also host a WRE on 6–8 December 2019, at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor.
