The monsoon season is officially welcomed when thousands of UMT students and nearby communities are flocking the beach to participate in a beach sport.

The International Monsoon Beach Challenge 2023 has received an incredible response when teams from all states and even Thailand are taking part in the event.

The event aimed at developing students’ leadership skills is held for three days beginning 16 November 2023.

The Monsoon Beach Challenge is in line with the aspiration of the Ministry of Higher Education to produce holistic graduates who are highly skilled and balanced to become the country’s future leaders, said Head of UMT’s Sport and Recreation Centre Siti Noriam Yaakob.

“UMT’s Sport and Recreation Centre takes the opportunity to make the natural phenomena occurring in Malaysia’s East Coast as an attraction, through the organization of a beach event.

“This effort is also to support the government’s aspiration in producing quality graduates who excelled in academics and were active in sport, so they can become the next generation of leaders to govern the country in the future.

Target participants are from all over Malaysia, with special invitations extended to several universities in Thailand and Indonesia, she said.

The beach challenge serves as a platform for students to improve their soft skills related to management, communication skills, and leadership, through the coordination of events that take place.

“We want the students to be exposed to high amount of leadership and other soft skills, and for that we appointed them as coordinators for the events. This exposure is useful that becomes an added value when they enter the work world later.

The International Monsoon Beach Challenge 2023 offers five main sporting events with prizes totalling RM55,000. Among the events are netball, volleyball, soccer, fishing, family sport, and colouring contest.

The event also promotes teamwork among students and contributes towards their physical and emotional health, she said.

“Team sport helps students understand the importance of teamwork and the thrust in each other to achieve the goal. This will help them in their university life and subsequently in their work life.

“Physical activities like sport can improve students’ mental and physical health apart from helping to reduce stress and enhance emotional intelligence,” she said.

The 5^th beach sport is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Terengganu Sports Council, and two private companies, MAXIS and XOFI.

Published by:

Corporate Communications Office

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu