Carlsberg Malaysia says it was never a sponsor of Hyrox Kuala Lumpur, cites local laws and cultural sensitivities

A participant competes at the sandbag lunges station during the Hyrox Men Istanbul 2026 fitness race at the Istanbul Expo Center in Istanbul, Turkey on August 1, 2026. — AFP pic

By Malay Mail

First Published: Thursday, 05 Nov 2026 9:23 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Carlsberg Malaysia has clarified that it was never a sponsor of Hyrox Kuala Lumpur 2026 and holds no commercial involvement in the upcoming fitness competition, further defusing a controversy over marketing graphics that had drawn permit threats from the Youth and Sports Ministry.

In a statement posted to Instagram yesterday, the brewer explained that a newly unveiled regional partnership between Hyrox and Carlsberg in Asia applies exclusively to events staged in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam, leaving Malaysia deliberately omitted from the arrangement.

“At Carlsberg Malaysia, we adhere to the country’s local laws, regulations, and respect cultural sensitivities,” the company said, reiterating its standard responsible consumption disclaimer that its products are strictly intended for non-Muslims aged 21 and above alongside the hashtag #CelebrateResponsibly.

The multi-day indoor fitness race is slated to take place from Dec 10 to 13 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.

The clarification came ahead of an ultimatum issued by the Youth and Sports Ministry on Wednesday, which warned that it would withhold operating approvals for the event until organisers completely purged the brewer’s branding, logos, and promotional assets from both physical venues and digital promotional channels.

The ministry noted that the organiser’s licence application remained pending and that Putrajaya had disbursed neither state funding nor regulatory clearance for the race.

Authorities cited Article 5.2 of the Safe Sport Code (3rd Edition, 2024), which explicitly prohibits tobacco, vape, and alcohol enterprises from sponsoring, advertising, or showcasing corporate trademarks across sporting events sanctioned by the ministry and its statutory agencies. Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari maintained that the government would brook no compromise in ensuring a healthy and safe sporting environment.

The ministry also cautioned organisers that proceeding with an unsanctioned competition violates Section 36(1) of the Sports Development Act 1997, which bars any entity from running sports activities without a formal licence from the Commissioner of Sports Malaysia, an offence punishable by fines up to RM500,000, a maximum five-year jail term, or both.

Hyrox Malaysia subsequently issued an apology across its social media channels, acknowledging that circulating the regional sponsorship graphic had caused distress and offense among the public.

Admitting that the management should have been more mindful of the religious beliefs and cultural norms of Malaysians, the organiser stated: “We got this wrong,” confirming that the decision to exclude Carlsberg from the Kuala Lumpur stop was made in mutual agreement with the brewer while reassuring registered participants that preparations for the race remain on track.