IronMan Langkawi 2011 : Sure or Not?

There was a press release on Jan 17, 2011 in Bernama stating that Ironman Langkawi will be held in May 2011. Read it here. In case the news is taken off the Bernama server in a few months time, i am pasting the print screen here for the record.

The news that 2010 Ironman was the last was nothing new. In fact, the 2010 installment were almost not certain as it was taken over by a new organising company, made up from previous organizing team.

I never crossed my mind back then it will be my last Ironman Langkawi race bib. It is even sadder than the most affordable Ironman race in the region will not be organized anymore.

So, how do one react when the news that Ironman Langkawi will be back in May 2011???
I was excited.
But it was short lived.
IronmanLangkawi.com.my domain is up for sale/renewal. Meaning, there is no confirmation that it will actually happen, apart from the fact the organizer needs RM3Million to organize it.

Then Emma Bishop from Beyond Transition blogged about it, i couldn't help but feel that Dato' Chandran might be misqouted by the press (see news cutting above).
Emma reiterated from WTC (fact) :

‘WTC advises that official information regarding Ironman races in Malaysia can only come from WTC. Any information coming from other sources is unauthorized.’

WTC, if you do not know what it is, stands for World Triathlon Corporation, which is the company that owns, runs and licenses Ironman races. And if what WTC says is true, there is no update as far as the IronmanLive.com website for Malaysia Ironman race.

Emma even wrote to Dato' Chandran, the owner/director of the (supposedly) new Ironman license holder in Malaysia that made the above press statement (again, see above). And this is what Emma said in the Beyond Transition blog

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Dear Chandran,

As a participant for IM Malaysia over the past 3years I like everyone

else was saddened by the news that there would be no race in 2011.

I have listened to the rumours going around within Malaysia over the past

few weeks and it seems people are still holding out hope that the race will go

ahead – now in May?

I believe them to be false and feel that perhaps people are
just being told what they want to hear.

I am now giving you an opportunity to comment on this rumour so we can
hopefully put some facts out there about what is happening. If you do not
wish to respond I will go ahead and publish without comment from you

or your organisation.

Please feel free to contact me, or email me asap you thoughts on this.

Best regards,
Emma.

So what say you?

The response was ZIP. ZERO. SILENCE.

They say no smoke without fire but I think in this instance the smoke is just a smoke screen and when it clears there will be nothing to see except the slam of the garden gate hitting a lot of hopefuls in the face as they once again have been led down the garden path.

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I could not agree more to what Emma said, and thanks for sharing your thoughts Emma.

Fingers crossed, let hope the gate will not be slammed. Lets just hope there are glimmer of hope.

Until then, keep moving forward and keep training.