Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said extreme sports have the potential to become one of the tourist attractions in the State.
He said this at the launch of the Tenom Motocross Fun Race in conjunction with the Harvest Festival celebration in Tenom on Sunday.
“I am very impressed with the efforts taken by the Tenom Motocross Club to rent the site as a temporary circuit for this event. It demonstrated their seriousness in promoting the sport to the young people here in the district and preventing them from illegal racing.
“I believe if the circuit is improved and upgraded, it will definitely raise the name of Tenom as a motocross tournament destination on a larger scale and become the main location for extreme sports in the State with the full support from the relevant parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, a sum of RM500,000 has been allocated by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment to improve the circuit in preparation for the Tenom Open Merdeka Race scheduled in August.
Tenom Motocross Club’s patron Jamawi Jaafar, hoped that the government could provide a special circuit for motocross sport, especially in the Tenom district.
“The circuit will not only serve the motocross fans from within and outside Sabah but it can also provide a platform for the State to produce future stars in the sport,” he said.
Also present at the ceremony were Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Arifin, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Tamin Zainal and former Federal Territory Umno Youth Chief Datuk Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan.
