Malaysia’s National Water Festival 2007: Labuan International Sea Challenge

Great competitions make up the highlights of the annual Labuan International Sea Challenge (LISC), which is part of Malaysia’s month long National Water Festival 2007. The merriment is characterised by water-based activities during the month-long celebrations which take place nationwide.

The Cross-Channel Swimming Challenge, Rolex IGFA International Game-Fishing Tournament, Round-Island Kayak Challenge and Labuan International Extreme Kayak Challenge were the ever popular and thrilling races, held at Labuan, the Federal Territory off-shore banking island along Sabah state’s southwest coast.

The LISC has drawn tremendous of local and international teams and individuals besides spectators from all over the world in conjunction with the country’s 50 Years of Nationhood and Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

The Cross-Channel Swimming Challenge is a popular event which requires participants to swim 5.4km from Labuan to the island of Pulau Papan and back. Contestants vie to break speed records in the domestic and open categories.

The highly prestigious Rolex IGFA International Game-Fishing Tournament features the only long-range deep-sea fishing competition and is considered as the region’s most challenging angling sport. It is part of the global Rolex IGFA Offshore Championship. ‘Fishingline’ was the last year’s winning team that caught a whopping 205kg of catch.

The Labuan International Extreme Kayak Challenge is the longest and toughest kayak race in the region, racing over a distance of 84km across the Brunei Bay. Individual and double categories are offered for the passionate and courageous ones to thrash it out with the sea.

Various shows, concerts and side activities were also organised such as a Shore Fishing Tournament, Battle of the Bands and the ‘Juara Cilik Labuan FM’ singing competition.

Known as Labuan the Pearl of Borneo, this territory is officially nicknamed ‘Pearl of Borneo’ during a formal launch in conjunction with the LISC and to commemorate Malaysia’s happy 50^th Anniversary of Nationhood.