NILAI — Malaysia aims to host one of the three rounds of the 2026 International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Nations Cup at the National Velodrome here, marking a significant milestone for the country in international cycling.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh revealed that a letter of intent was submitted to the UCI late last year, signifying Malaysia’s aspirations to host the prestigious event for the first time.
Amarjit said the decision on whether Malaysia will be selected as a host for the 2026 UCI Track Nations Cup is expected this June.
He noted that the competition to host the event is fierce, with many other countries also bidding for the opportunity.
“We’ll have to wait and see how the selection process unfolds,” he said when met at the Asean Track Series (President Cup) 1, here today.
While the MNCF is hopeful about securing the 2026 edition, Amarjit admitted that he personally prefers Malaysia to host the event in 2027.
However, he acknowledged that it would be challenging as 2027 marks the start of the qualification period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28).
“I can already imagine that there will be a lot of other countries who will be gunning for that (UCI Track Nations Cup host).
“This is because the idea is to have one country from Asia, one from the Europe side, and one maybe from Oceania or America,” he explained.
Amarjit also expressed interest in Malaysia hosting the UCI Track Cycling World Championships after the LA28 Olympics.
However, he pointed out that the UCI imposes strict requirements for such an event, including government guarantees, strong institutional support, and participation from all cycling nations. — January 15, 2025