On the 4th and 5th October 2025, the Malaysian-German Students’ Society (MGSS) held its annual biggest event of the year, RENTAP, in Bonn, Germany with the support of TalentCorp’s MyHeart Young Global Leader Programme. An event that has been highly anticipated by many Malaysians throughout Germany. Whether you are a young at or an old soul – this is the event that united all Malaysians.
Where The Tigers Meet
RENTAP is seen as a sports competition that determines who emerges victorious and who walks away empty-handed. It is a battle ground where teams from all over the country get to compete and determine which of them deserves the title of the champion. To put into simple terms, it is the re-introduction of the nostalgic practice of Hari Sukan or sports day, to the Malaysian students in Germany.
The goal behind organising this annual event is to create an avenue where Malaysians can actively interact with one another, share new ideas, culture and stories. As a result, we were able to bridge audiences from different backgrounds and experiences to create a memorable weekend.
A Trip Down History Lane
The inception of RENTAP is a tricky one to pinpoint. A Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) alumni who used to study in Germany shared that the tradition of sports gathering began with their batch. It simply started with a friendly football competition, and as the years went by, it eventually expanded into wider variety of sports and bigger venues which all led to attracting a bigger crowd. Somewhere along the way, RENTAP Bazaar was established to create opportunities for vendors and for Malaysians to enjoy Malaysian food.
While 2025 marked the 16th anniversary of the event, there was a gap during the pandemic where RENTAP was put on hold due to restrictions. The new way of living at that time birthed a separate event called E-RENTAP where gamers compete on virtual platforms. Although it had the expectations of upholding the RENTAP values, it does not invoke the same emotions and impact as an in-person event.
Into The Jungle
What is an event without any hiccups. The weather proved to be our biggest obstacle, with pouring rain on the first day and light showers on the second day. This stirred chaos in the Bazaar aspect of the event, as it usually takes place outdoors; sports that took place indoors, however, weren’t too drastically affected.
A big lesson learned was hosting over 350 attendees, with around 270 of them being registered athletes, in a modest sized venue. Last-minute decisions had to be made and time was of the essence, but thankfully despite the challenges, the MGSS team pulled through, and we were able to successfully move forward with the event.
“The addition of rugby was nice. Having drink stations near the field was a plus. Overall, I appreciate the effort made by MGSS. Thank you for organising the event. I wish nothing but the best for your next events.” – Anonymous attendees from a post-event survey.
“I get to volunteer as well as cheer my friends on. Plus, I got free food and a t-shirt.” – Event volunteer
Special Gratitude
RENTAP 2025 would not have been possible without the generous support of our esteemed sponsors and partners. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to MyHeart for their invaluable support and contribution in providing both sponsorship and guidance on leveraging the MyHeart events module. Through MyHeart, we were able to seamlessly manage athlete registrations and strengthen the link between Malaysian talents overseas and opportunities back home.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Consulate General of Malaysia Frankfurt, JPA, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the German Educare (GEC) for their sponsorship and unwavering commitment to empowering the Malaysian student community abroad. Their continued support has played a vital role in ensuring that RENTAP remains a platform where Malaysians in Germany can connect, compete and celebrate their shared heritage.
To all our sponsors, thank you for believing in our vision and for making RENTAP 2025 a true celebration of unity, resilience and pride.
This story was submitted by the Malaysian-German Students’ Society (MGSS).
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