KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) has defended the Road To Gold (RTG) programme, emphasising its importance and long-term potential for Malaysian cycling athletes.
MNCF deputy president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill, said in a statement today that the programme, which has faced some criticism, should continue without interruption.
“If you think about it, other than the shock disqualification (of Datuk Azizulhasni Awang), which was due to technical reasons, both Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati had surpassed and performed well beyond their expectations.
“Even Datuk Azizul performed his best time during the sprint qualifying up to the quarter-finals,” Amarjit stated.
Amarjit, who is also a UCI management committee member, also highlighted the near-miss of Shah Firdaus, who was just a whisker away from an Olympic bronze medal.
A collision with Japan’s Shinji Nakano in the final 50m cost him the podium finish.
“The focus was always on Datuk Azizulhasni to perform, but Shah Firdaus proved that he has what it takes to deliver. Watch him in four years’ time at the Olympics; with the right support, he is going to deliver,” Amarjit added.
Nurul Izzah also shone, breaking the national sprint record by 0.3 seconds with a time of 10.709s.
Amarjit expressed confidence in her future, predicting that she, too, will make a significant impact in the coming years.
He reiterated that the RTG was conceived as a long-term strategy aimed at the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics, serving as a supplementary programme alongside initiatives provided by the National Sports Council (NSC).
“I, for one, do not think it is a failure for cycling. In some ways, it has been a success,” stated Amarjit, who also serves as the Asian Cycling Confederation vice president.
Amarjit also hoped for the RTG programme to continue consistently, without the risk of being scrapped or altered with changes in administration, a concern he has already conveyed to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Furthermore, he urged that for sports included in the RTG programme, the relevant associations should be incorporated into the RTG committee to ensure good synergy between all stakeholders involved. – August 14, 2024