From February 21 to 23 in Malaysia the first ever international competition based on the TBS sports entertainment program SASUKE, the SASUKE ASEAN OPEN CUP 2014 (SAOC), was held in Malaysia, where the national government officially support SASUKE.

Like previous SASUKE competitions, the SAOC required competitors to race against the clock and apply their physical abilities in overcoming a wide variety of obstacles. One difference, however, was that the SAOC featured three ability-focused courses: Hang, Climb, and Power. In addition, prizes were awarded for three kinds of best results: individual times on separate runs, cumulative individual times, and cumulative times for each competing nation. Over a three-day period, 200 athletes from across Asia, Europe, and North America battled for supremacy.

Day three was a special battle among seven countries and territories: the ASEAN nations of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei, as well as Japan, Taiwan, and the US. Each team had up to five members, all competing in each of the three categories. The top three scores from each team were totaled, with first place earning three points, second place earning two points, and third place earning one point (top individual scores were the tiebreakers). The total points from all categories were combined to determine the ultimate winners. The US team took the gold medal, Japan the silver, and Malaysia the bronze.

SASUKE content (including the US version, American Ninja Warrior) has been sold in 157 countries and territories. Sales extend not only to countries in Asia, Europe, and North America, but also to the Middle East and Latin America. Local versions of the show have been produced in the US, Malaysia, and Singapore, and expansion into other markets is under consideration. Held as part of the celebration of the 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, the SASUKE ASEAN OPEN CUP 2014 has taken SASUKE to a new level, turning the exciting TV program into a true international sports competition with worldwide growth potential.

■ Final Results: Climb Category (SASUKE CLIMB)

1st: Drew Drechsel 　 (USA) 14.34 sec.

2nd: Wang Jun An 　 (Taiwan) 16.84 sec.

3rd: David Campbell　 (USA) 17.76 sec.

■ Final Results: Hang Category (SASUKE HANG)

1st: Drew Drechsel (USA) 38.78 sec.

2nd: Yuusuke Morimoto (Japan) 40.27 sec.

3rd: Awg Mohd Hasnal Husna Bin Ahmad (Brunei) 44.26 sec.

■ Final Results: Power Category (SASUKE POWER)

1st: Drew Drechsel (USA) 9.24 sec.

2nd: Alan Connealy (USA) 9.71 sec.

3rd: Kenji Takahashi (Japan) 11.21 sec.

■ Final Results: Individual Total

1st: Drew Drechsel (USA) 62.41 sec.

2nd: Yuusuke Morimoto (Japan) 73.71 sec.

3rd: Awg Mohd Hasnal Husna Bin Ahmad (Brunei) 79.83 sec.

■ Final Results: Team Competition

1st: USA

2nd: Japan

3rd: Malaysia