Malaysia's Penang To Host First Asia Pacific Masters Games In 2018

GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), May 12 (Bernama) -- Approximately 5,000 sports enthusiasts, 60 per cent or 3,000 of whom are foreigners, are expected to participate in the 1st Asia Pacific Masters Games (APMG) in Penang from Sept 8 to 16 next year. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this would be the first time the international multi-sport event to be hosted in Asia. "Last December, the state government signed a Host City Contract with the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), to commit ourselves to the hosting of the first APMG in 2018. "Hosting the games will be beneficial to Penang in many ways. For one, it will boost Penang's standing as a tourist destination,” he told a press conference here Thursday. Lim said the state government would be providing RM4.5 million (US$1 = 4.35) for the organising of the games. "We will also be receiving an estimated of RM2 million from registration fees, thereby reducing our expected cost to RM2.5 million for an expected economic value of RM20 million," he said. Meanwhile, State Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Chong Eng said a total of 21 sports would be contested at the APMG 2018, namely archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, cycling, dancesport, football, golf, hockey, netball, shooting, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwando, tennis, tenpin bowling, volleyball, weightlifting and wushu. "The APMG 2018 was officially launched during the World Masters Games in Auckland on April 21 this year,” she said. -- BERNAMA