Opening Ceremony ends Shafique's sleepless nights

by Rurrum Communications Sdn Bhd on 5 Dec 2008 When the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin sounded the siren to mark the opening of the Monsoon Cup, tears of satisfaction almost rolled out of Monsoon Cup Operations Manager Shafique Iqbal's eyes, simply because it also marked an end to his 45-day ordeal of sleepless nights and nightmares preparing for the event,

'It was the biggest challenge of my career. This year, we had very short notice as the confirmation only came in September and we had about 45 days to pull this mega event through. At first, the thought of it sent shivers through my spine but I took it as a challenge,' said Shafique who took up the Operations Manager's post just four months ago.

'Since I had been involved in the Monsoon Cup right from the beginning in 2005, I more or less knew the logistics involved and with help of my colleagues and all the relevant authorities, we were able to ensure a smooth opening ceremony.'

Shafique, a snorkeling enthusiast, came into the Monsoon Cup picture as a temporary staff but his enthusiasm, hardwork and passion saw him slowly climb the ladder of success, becoming a sailing executive, government liaison officer, sponsorship and branding executive before gaining promotion to his current post.

 He added that staging the Monsoon Cup involved a wide spectrum of logistics and personnel like volunteers, police, fire and rescue department, marine police, local council, transport, airport authorities, government agencies, state government, sponsors, hotels and the World Match Racing Tour office and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

All in all, 500 volunteers, 385 policemen, 24 fire and rescue officers, 50 medical staff and more than 100 vehicles ranging from cars, MPVs, texsi and buses are involved in the operations, he said. Apart from the logistics, food & beverage is served for 500 people twice a day and another 300 people for the sailing teams.

'We also carried out a number of promotional campaigns to hype up the event, including putting up billboards, posters, buntings, 1,000 local taxis, TV, radio and through staging concerts,' he said. He added that it was his hope that staging the Monsoon Cup, which is the last stage of the World Match Racing Tour, would certainly put Pulau Duyong's Marina Bay on the world map.

The Marina Bay - located at the Terengganu River estuary, opposite the state capital – with exquisite resorts and marina facilities – can match any of the top marinas in the world, said Shafique who had seen the place grow from a dumpsite to a world-class venue for match racing.

'The place used to be a dumpsite that floods during the monsoon season but after identifying the site for the Monsoon Cup, reclamation work started and make-shift tents and marques were put up to stage the 2005 Monsoon Cup and it was rather messy when it rained.

'The success of the inaugural event saw rapid development and a permanent structure was put up and completed just a day before the 2006 event,' he said.

He added that on the third year, they got into stride with a proper venue and the interest began to catch up with the people of Terengganu and sailing enthusiasts from all over the world.

Shafique feels Pulau Duyong will be an excellent venue and stopover for leisure boating activities since it was situated on the east coast, a sea-route that is easily accessible from Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, China and Korea.

'Tourists who sail can make a stopover to enjoy the rich heritage of Terengganu and some of the most beautiful coral islands in the world like Pulau Redang, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Perhentian,' said Shafique, adding that he had fallen in love with his job and the seas here although he hails from Kuala Lumpur.

'In fact, we have already received enquiries from sailors all over this region after watching the Monsoon Cup through TV broadcast, print and electronic media,' he said.

Check out the live vision on www.sail.tv. Live updates on today’s matches are available on www.monsooncup.com.my