KUCHING: The second edition of Sarawak Energy’s Batang Ai Mountain Bike (MTB) Jamboree will be held 20 August this year.
The one-of-a-kind challenge, held against the beautiful backdrop of the Batang Ai lakeand its surrounding landscape, will test the endurance of an anticipated 200 participants.
This year promises even more attractive prizes across various categories and is expected to draw increased participation from mountain-bikers after positive feedback from the inaugural 2016 edition.
The main draw of the jamboree is the Men’s Open category which takes the cyclists on a 40km mountain ride through a special trailalong the Batang Ai Dam and lakeside, looping in and out of secondary forests and across KampungSkarok suspension bridge.
The other categories are the 20km Ladies Open and Veteran races.
Conducted under semi-formal race rules, the event presents a great opportunity for mountain biking enthusiasts to test their skills in maneuvering through the rugged trail.
Cyclists throughout Sarawak are urged to save the date. Further details on event and registration will be released through the event’s Facebook page, Btg Ai Mtb Jamboree, starting third week of May.
The jamboree is meant to give not only cycling enthusiasts but also interested Sarawakiansand international visitors an opportunity to see for themselves the natural regeneration of the area since the development of Batang Ai HEP over 30 years ago.
Aisah Eden, Sarawak Energy Executive Vice President of Corporate Services said, “The Sarawak Energy Mountain Bike Jamboree will give cyclists a first-handexperienceof the natural regeneration of flora and faunaaround the lakeside ofBatang Ai dam since it was completed in 1985.
The event ties in well with the State Government’s aspiration to promote recreational activities at lakeside areas andto optimise the benefits of hydroelectric projects besides generating electricity.”
“Activities like this will not only promote Batang Ai lakeside potential for recreational activities but also as a tourist destination. Local communities are involved as much as we are in the jamboree, and this fosters a closer relationship between us and the communities who we consider are our partner and valued stakeholders,” she said.
Batang Ai HEP, the first milestone project in Sarawak Energy’s journey towards renewable energy in the state, was commissioned in 1985 and was the largest civil engineering project undertaken in Sarawak at that time.
In 2015, Sarawak Energy celebrated the station’s 30 years in operation and its pivotal role in transforming the local landscape both physically and socio-economically.
