Track to gold for Malaysian cycling at Thailand SEA Games seems less glittering
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's eight-year wait for track cycling to return to the SEA Games looks set to end in disappointment, with three gold medal-winning events likely to be excluded from the meet in Thailand this December.
The three events that are at risk of being scrapped are the keirin, team sprint, and team pursuit.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said they were informed earlier this month by the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) that the events may be dropped due to poor response from participating nations.
He said MNCF immediately contacted countries like Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines in an effort to persuade them to send riders, as a minimum of four countries is required for an event to be held.
However, the final decision lies with the respective governments, which are bound by budget constraints and tend to prioritise athletes with stronger medal prospects.
With the lack of entries in these three events, they are likely to be replaced by the men's omnium, women's omnium, and men's scratch race.
"Track events set to return at this SEA Games include the men's team pursuit, men's team sprint, and men's keirin. However, when countries submitted their entries by numbers, there were not enough participants for these events.
"For instance, Singapore are not sending any athletes for the keirin, while Indonesia are focusing on endurance rather than sprint events. This makes it difficult to meet the minimum participation requirements.
"Due to this, there are now plans to revise the event schedule. If there aren't enough entries, the events cannot be held. So, there is a strong possibility that the keirin may be dropped from the SEA Games, but this has yet to be confirmed," said Amarjit.
However, a final decision on whether the three events will be scrapped or reinstated will only be known when all participating countries meet with the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) next month.
Malaysia have long been a powerhouse in all three events, which were last contested when Kuala Lumpur hosted the Games in 2017.
Back then, the national squad dominated the track, sweeping 11 of the 13 gold medals on offer. Unfortunately, track cycling was excluded from the next three editions in Manila, Hanoi and Phnom Penh.
At the same time, MNCF are considering a realistic medal target for the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand this December to match their performance at the Games in Cambodia two years ago.
At that event, Malaysia successfully defended the gold medal in the road race through Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mazuki, while also securing two silver and two bronze medals.
'Our target is to maintain or improve on the results from the last SEA Games. That should be our benchmark, and we should not aim lower than that,' added Amarjit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
MABA await approval of three naturalised cagers to boost SEA Games medal hopes
PETALING JAYA: Time is ticking for the Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) but they remain hopeful that their three naturalised players will get government approval in time to compete at the Thailand SEA Games. MABA president Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock said the association have set a target of two medals from the SEA Games from Dec 9-20, and believes the inclusion of these players will be crucial in achieving the goal.
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Cheong Min wins Malaysia's first-ever wushu gold at World Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Wushu star Tan Cheong Min made history by winning Malaysia's first-ever gold medal in the sport at the World Games in Chengdu. Cheong Min delivered a commanding display in the women's nandao (broadsword) event at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium on Saturday, scoring 9.733 points. This came after her equally impressive performance in the nanquan (fist) event on Friday, where she topped the field with 9.746 points. Her combined total of 19.479 points saw her edge Uzbekistan's Darya Latisheva (19.433) and Singapore's Kassandra Ong (19.386) to claim gold. Cheong Min becomes only the fourth Malaysian athlete to win gold at the prestigious World Games, held every four years. She joins an elite list that includes bowlers Daniel Lim and Sharon Low (mixed doubles, Finland 1997) and squash legend Nicol David, who won three golds (Germany 2005, Taiwan 2009, Colombia 2013). Cheong Min's historic feat was matched by teammate Sydney Chin, who claimed Malaysia's first medal of the Games earlier in the week with a bronze in the women's taijiquan and taijijian all-round event. Sydney scored 19.410 points, behind gold medallist China's Lu Zhuoling (19.522) and Singapore's Zeanne Law (19.430). Malaysia's wushu squad at Chengdu also includes Pang Pui Yee and newly crowned Taolu Asia Cup champion Clement Ting.
New Straits Times
21 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysian basketball adopts Harimau Malaya's naturalisation playbook
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian basketball is taking a leaf out of Harimau Malaya's playbook, with three foreign-born players in line to don national colours at the Thailand SEA Games in December in a bid to secure medals. The Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) has applied to the Home Ministry to naturalise two male players and one female player. All three have completed their interviews, and MABA is now awaiting approval. MABA president Datuk Lee Tian Hock said the association has also appealed to the Youth and Sports Ministry to help speed up the process. While Tian Hock declined to name the players, it is understood they are Republic of Congo's Tychique Bosango, Nigerian Joseph Obasa and Aalia Carlson, who has Malaysian-American parentage. "We hope the Youth and Sports Ministry can advise the Home Ministry to expedite the process," Tian Hock said after a signing ceremony between basketball retailer Hoops Station and sports brand Rigorer on Saturday. Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves attended the event. 'We were hoping to have them granted passports early this year to integrate with the men's and women's teams ahead of the SEA Games. "The aim is to give both our teams a better chance against bigger, more physical opponents. If we don't get the approvals in time, we'll proceed with our local players, who have been training together since the last Games." At the 2023 Phnom Penh edition, Malaysia claimed a bronze through the women's 5-on-5. This year in Thailand, Tian Hock wants medals in all four events — men's and women's 5-on-5 and 3x3. "In 2023, we targeted one medal and achieved it. This time, we're aiming higher. We're putting pressure on ourselves, but that's the only way to improve." he said. The national teams have had overseas stints, including a recent trip to Taiwan and are set to play in a tournament in China as part of their SEA Games preparations. Tian Hock believes the exposure will help the teams adapt to the physicality of regional competition. "Over the past two or three years, our players have lost the fear of facing taller, stronger opponents," he added. "We just need that extra edge in rebounding and strength, and these naturalised players can give us that." Harimau Malaya, the national men's football team, have been naturalising foreign and heritage-born players for the past decade — a strategy that helped Malaysia end their 43-year wait to qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha.
