KUCHING, June 15: The inaugural Strongman Challenge 2024 kicked off with great enthusiasm today at the Kuching police training centre (Pulapol), featuring an unexpected cheerleader among its participants — Muaythai sensation Johan Ghazali, popularly known as ‘Jojo’, who came out to support his mother, Jennana Lynn Johnson.
Johnson, wife of SAC Zulfikar Mohd Ghazali, commandant of Kuching Pulapol, joined 160 other participants in this groundbreaking event, marking its debut in Kuching. Organised by Supt Ernest John, deputy commandant of Kuching Pulapol, the challenge saw competitors engage in rigorous feats of strength across various disciplines.
“This is the first time the Strongman Challenge has graced Kuching Pulapol, and we are considering the possibility of making it an annual fixture,” said Supt Ernest John, expressing gratitude to SAC Zulfikar for his patronage and the Sarawak Strongestman Association for technical support.
Participants, predominantly from Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan, including members of uniformed services and the public, enthusiastically took on challenges like tyre flips, lorry pulls, and Atlas stones, showcasing their physical prowess and determination.
The event also aimed to celebrate diversity, with wives of Pulapol Kuching chiefs actively encouraged to participate, adding a festive spirit to the occasion.
Later today, SAC Zulfikar will preside over the prizegiving ceremony, reflecting on the event’s success and hinting at future enhancements to include obstacle courses, promising to test not just strength but also speed and agility.
“This is just the beginning,” SAC Zulfikar remarked. “We look forward to expanding the challenge to include more dynamic elements, inviting participants of all backgrounds to join us.”
