KUALA LUMPUR – The para-cycling squad is aiming to secure an additional quota slot for the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games, scheduled for August this year.
Currently, under the guidance of Sallehudin Mohd Noh, the team has already obtained three slots from the International Cycling Union (UCI), two for men and one for women, for the world’s biggest sporting event.
The upcoming UCI World Cup events in Ostend, Belgium (May 2-5) and Maniago, Italy (May 16-19) hold significant importance in this pursuit, as they provide an opportunity for Malaysia to compete in the mixed team sprint event in Paris.
“In 2022, we successfully secured two slots, one for men and one for women. Following our performances in Adelaide and the World Championships, we have accumulated points. Based on manual calculations by the coaching team, we are hopeful of securing another slot.
“We have two more championships to collect points for the Paris Paralympic Games, and both of these World Cup events focus on road races,” said Sallehudin.
According to the regulations set by the UCI, the qualification deadline for the Paris Paralympics is on June 30.
The slots allocated by the UCI to Malaysia are national quotas, rather than individual ones.
However, the Malaysian coaching team has already identified potential cyclists who will compete in Paris. Among them is Mohd Yusof Hafizi, who competes in the C1 category.
Over the past three months, the 26-year-old cyclist has had remarkable performances. He recently secured a silver medal in the 1-km time trial event at the Para Cycling World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In January, Yusof made history by securing a silver medal at the UCI Para Road World Cup in Adelaide, Australia. A month later, he brought home four gold medals from the Asia Para Track Cycling Championships in New Delhi, India.
“For the first slot we obtained from the UCI, we have already named Yusof for Paris. As for the other potential candidates, we need to further discuss with the existing coaching team.
“Our aim is to secure three slots, matching the number we obtained during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” he added. – March 30, 2024