Sea Games selection based on merit, not team colours, says MNCF

New Straits Times

7 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) has assured fans that they will only select the most qualified riders, regardless of which team they are from, to represent Malaysia at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20).
MNCF secretary Arif Astaman said the national body will be assessing riders based on their performances in recent seasons, in line with Sea Games selection standards laid out by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Jefri Ngadirin had on Monday (July 14) directed MNCF to choose between sending Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) or Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) riders to represent Malaysia at the Sea Games.
TSG and MPC are Malaysia's top professional cycling teams.
"We are aware of what the director-general has said. We will, however, be selecting riders based on their recent performances, ranking and suitability with the course that will be used," said Arif when contacted today (July 15).
"If all the riders who meet the selection criteria are from the same team, then so be it.
"We, however, will not say that we will only be taking riders from TSG and that riders from other teams do not have a chance.
"Doing that would be akin to shooting ourselves in the foot. We want riders who are in form, we don't care which team they are from.
"At the end of the day, it is our responsibility to send the best team possible to defend our gold medal."
NSC's directive was seen as a peculiar move as Malaysia has over the past two editions combined riders from both teams to positive effect, winning back-to-back gold in the mass start road race through TSG riders Nur Aiman Zariff (Hanoi 2021) and Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (2023 Phnom Penh).
Arif added that MNCF will begin the selection process soon as they have to submit the final squad registration to OCM by Sep 1.
"I will be meeting with our (new) technical director John Beasley soon to discuss the selection process," he said.
"With John as director we are introducing a new, more data-driven and performance-based approach when it comes to selection of riders.
"We will use this as a benchmark on top of the assessment from the coaches as well as data from the National Sports Institute."
MPC last week expressed their disappointment with NSC after requests made via MNCF for additional funding - including a request to purchase new time trial bikes - for the Sea Games were turned down outright by NSC.
MPC team principal Sayuti Zahit said Malaysia needs the new time trial bikes, which cost roughly RM80,000 each, to compete on a level playing field with fellow contenders in the event such as Thailand and the Philippines.
Sayuti confirmed that MPC will withdraw their riders from the Sea Games squad if they do not receive any positive news from NSC by next month.
NSC said they had already allocated RM300,000 to MNCF to prepare the road squad for the Sea Games at the start of the year.
MNCF last week disclosed that only RM196,000 of the allocation remains after expenses incurred to prepare and send riders to the Asian Championships in Thailand earlier this year.
Malaysia has won six gold medals in road cycling at the last five editions of the Sea Games.