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SERI KEMBANGAN - Sweat, determination and unyielding grit took centre stage at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) as the Redline Fitness Games Kuala Lumpur 2026 pushed thousands of athletes to their limits over the weekend.
The two-day event on Jul 25-26 put participants' physical and mental fortitude to the test across 12 demanding workout stations focused on power, agility and overall endurance.
High energy, booming bass and the relentless clinking of iron echoed throughout the venue as hundreds of athletes pushed their limits, with Defy, the premier boutique hybrid fitness studio, bringing a dominant community turnout.
Catching up with Sinar Daily at the event, former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin expressed his excitement over the surge in local participation.
"Fitness racing is really taking off in Malaysia, through events like Redline and Hyrox.
"It gives people a fantastic platform to challenge themselves and make fitness a bigger part of their lives," Khairy said.
Proving that he practices what he preaches, Khairy didn't just spectate, he stepped onto the competition floor himself, taking on the gruelling 12-station course in the men's doubles category alongside Coach Eddy from Defy, a studio he is part of building alongside chief executive officer Saify Akhtar.
He finished the race successfully.
While swarmed by members of the media hoping to solicit his commentary on ongoing political developments, Khairy firmly brushed off political inquiries, insisting that the spotlight remain strictly on the athletes and community fitness spirit on the event floor.
"I'm here for the sport event, not to talk about politics," he said.
Fresh off completing his race, Khairy addressed the media in a post-event press conference, calling for a shift in Malaysia's fitness culture and arguing that functional fitness must become accessible to all.
"Right now, let's be honest, this is still very much a T20 pursuit.
"If we actually want to support millions of Malaysians, functional fitness has to become a habit for every Malaysian, not a hobby for the people who can afford it," the former health minister said.
Khairy pointed to alarming statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, noting that 54.4 per cent of Malaysian adults are overweight or obese, costing the economy RM22.5 billion annually in health burdens and lost productivity.
To fight this from the ground up, Defy is optimising group coaching formats to lower membership costs while building a sustainable career path for local trainers. By offering medical, retirement and income protection, Defy aims to ensure full-time coaching is a viable, long-term profession.
"The test we've set ourselves is simple, a Defy coach should be able to get a mortgage," Khairy emphasised, revealing that mature coaches on the platform average around RM10,920 monthly.
Khairy ended with a simple challenge to all Malaysians: pick a race, start training and watch out for a major announcement from Defy at the end of August.
