MALAYSIA'S reputation as an international sporting venue continues to be enhanced. Its location, infrastructure and ability to draw the world's premier sporting events has made it the centre for action in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia's growth as a world sporting centre will be capped off in 1998 with the nation's capital, Kuala Lumpur, hosting the Commonwealth Games.
Given that, and Malaysians' love of sport, from badminton to football and motor racing, most premier sporting events are never short of large, boisterous and appreciative crowds.
Two of Malaysia's most important sporting events are the 500 cc motor cycling Grand Prix, which sees the world's best riders tearing around the Shah Alam course, and the the Kuantan Challenge - an officially sanctioned World Cup windsurfing event which hosts champion board sailors tackling the consistently high winds that blow off Malaysia's east coast.
World champion Wayne Rainey took his Yamaha to a comfortable victory in the 500 cc Grand Prix this year, in a faultless display of riding.
This year the country also hosted the Champion's Trophy, a tournament of the world's best hockey teams, including Australia, Germany, Holland, Pakistan, Spain and, of course, Malaysia.
