KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — Malaysia’s number one tower runner Soh Wai Ching has set a New Year’s goal to reclaim the global top spot in 2025.
The 2024 Tower Running World Champion said he will ensure his mission is achieved by November next year by reclaiming the championship at the biggest tournament, the Shanghai Tower International Vertical Marathon that month.
“This year, I only got number 11 in one tournament, which was in Shanghai. I was not feeling well and got number 11. It’s a tournament with big points so when I lost, my ranking dropped to second place.
“Next year, I want to make up for the disappointment by getting number one in the tournament in November, thus raising my ranking,” he told Bernama recently.
Wai Ching missed out on the world No. 1 place after finishing 11th at the Shanghai Tower International Vertical Marathon last month, when a bout of food poisoning severely affected his performance and prevented him from setting a personal best or competing for the win.
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old athlete also aims to increase his winning percentage in the tournaments he will participate in to 90 per cent wins compared to the 78 per cent wins he achieved this year.
He said he will also start this year by participating in the big International Vertical Marathon PingAn tournament which provides 200 points on January 11 followed by the StairClimbing Championship in Osaka, Japan, on February 16.
“I will make sure I win this tournament,” he said.
The Selayang-born athlete this year carved a name for himself as a world champion when he conquered the top of Taipei 101 in Taiwan as the champion of the World Tower Running Championship in May besides dominating the open men’s category of the 2024 Naza Tower Run.
He successfully defended his championship for three consecutive years until the Scale the Strat tower run in Las Vegas, the United States, in February.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Tower Running Association president Ravinder Singh said his party will be organising three prestigious tournaments that will give the country a lot of points in 2025.
“This year in Malaysia we have 15 tournaments, but the weakness is that the world points are not high, so next year we will organise three big tournaments in Malaysia — two tournaments with 200 points, and one with 120 points.
“This is to ensure many national athletes can participate in this tournament, thus adding points and improving the world ranking,” he said.
— Bernama
