Malay Mayor wants sports activities all year round in Boracay next year

Malay Mayor Floribar Bautista said he is open for Boracay to have sports-filled activities next year, albeit, racecation (race vacation) is being eyed to start on this resort island in October this year.

In a press conference here Wednesday afternoon, Bautista said that he wants this resort island to be famed not only as a family beach destination but as a sports tourism destination as well.

“In October this year, we are anticipating to see some 600 athletes joining the first Super Triathlon in open waters, which is considered the first.The local government unit of Malay is supporting sports activities that will promote Boracay as a tourist destination,” Bautista said during the coordination meeting held at the Belmont hotel here.

He added that sports tourism is good for Boracay as it lures not only athletes but, at the same time, their families and fans as well.

Oliver Salas, the organizer of the Super Triathlon, said the event will be held at the Boracay Hole on October 21–22.

“Aside from the local participants and some sports celebrities, we also anticipate athletes joining from Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan. This is called Super Triathlon because athletes race for swimming, cycling (18 kilometers), and running for 800 meters and repeat,” Salas said.

Lemuel Buenaflor, another sports organizer, said in an interview online that his group has also chosen Malay, Aklan, as the venue of this year’s Philippine Pump Boat National Championship.

“The said competition to be staged at Malay, Aklan, will happen on November 9–12 this year in the event dubbed Kress Cup 2023. We hope to gather hundreds of pump boat races all over the country,” Buenaflor said.

He added that the prizes of the said event were P2.4 Million, the highest prizes of its kind to be given in a competition.