Johor will become a major center for sports tourism, according to the state administration, especially since it is a popular location for hosting numerous international sporting events.

Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, the chairman of the Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives, and Human Resources Committee, said the competition included L'Etape Johor by Tour De France, which is in its second year of operation with a goal of 6,000 participants from both domestic and international sources later this year.

Due to its strategic location and proximity to adjacent Singapore and Indonesia, "the creation of L'Etape Johor will boost Johor as a sports tourist hub, not only in Malaysia but also in the Southeast Asian region.

In a speech at the Johor Velodrome today (May 10), he remarked, "Through the organization of L'Etape, we want participants to not just come here to compete but also to experience our culture.

Datuk On Jabbar, the deputy state secretary for sports, youth, and volunteers for Johor, and Suhairi Hashim, the director of tourism for Johor, were also present.

L'E?tape Johor is a mass cycling race that takes place every year that gives amateur riders the chance to compete on the same course as the Tour de France stages.

The L'Etape Johor, which is slated on July 8, will have a race course of 60 and 140 miles with five categories, including individual, team, and elite.

Suhairi claimed that Johor, which has a variety of sports facilities and equipment in addition to numerous offers to hold international competitions, is prepared to become the nation's center for sports tourism.

"So far, we have attempted to concentrate on sports in our quest for tourism. As we can see, Johor offers a variety of sports that are particularly popular in addition to driving.

As Johor currently has numerous sporting facilities that serve this industry, "we will be able to attract many participants from foreign countries," he said.