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The people of Malaysia are fond of sports and most of their leisure time is occupied by several activities and sporting competition. One of the popular traditional sports is kite-flying which has been enjoyed since the days of old. It is a traditional pastime of farmers after harvesting season in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu. Kites come in all shapes such as fish, cat, caterpillar or bird but the Kelantanese wau-bulan (moon-kite) is the popular one.
Nowadays, kite-flying sport has morphed itself into an international event with the participants coming all the way from Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Singapore and Japan. Another famous traditional sport is Silat, a Malaysian art of self-defence which is popular both among men and women. Sepak Takraw, which is a sort of volleyball but played with legs only, enjoys much popularity in Malaysia. Wayang Kulit is another traditional sport performed along with puppets. It is also known as shadow play. Other games such as Wau or dragon dance display the art and culture of Malaysia symbolizing the beauty and harmony of the land.
Modern sports such as badminton, bowling, football, squash and field hockey are also popular in Malaysia. Ping pong and badminton players of Malaysia rank in the world’s top three position. Malaysia also competed in the 7th Asian Youth Netball Championship in India in 2010.Golf is another sport which is gaining its popularity building many courses around the country. Malaysia has also hosted several major sports event including the Commonwealth Games in 1998.
In September 2010, Malaysian sports officials made an agreement with some of Scotland's top sports organizations in a bid to create a successful sports industry in Malaysia. Malaysian Grand Prix is usually held at the Sepang International Circuit at Sepang. The Malaysia Open started from 1937 is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Kuala Lumpur. Sukma Games is a sporting event in Malaysia held once every two years. But from 2011 onwards, this sporting event is likely to be held annually. Other popular sports in Malaysia are soccer, horse racing, powerboat racing, yacht race, rugby, field bowling, basketball, polo and cricket.
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