Gearing up for next level (SEPTEMBER 17 - 23)
National para cyclists now eye bigger Asian-level competition
HAVING shown without doubt they are the best in South-East Asia, the Malaysian para cyclists’ next step is to conquer Asia.
Cycling’s inclusion in the Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games was highly rewarding for hosts Malaysia as they harvested a total of 22 golds.
After making a clean sweep of all 12 golds in the track events at the National Velodrome in Nilai, the cyclists went on to bag 10 out of the 14 golds from the road discipline in Putrajaya.
Cycling was the second biggest gold contributor to Malaysia after athletics, which won 36 golds.
Mohd Najib Turano and the women’s tandem pairing of Nur Azlia Syafinaz-Adila Noraidillina won four golds each.
Coach Johari Nayan now hopes the cyclists will work harder to aim for medals at Asian level.
“The cyclists will be given a short break and then we will prepare for the Asian Para Cycling Championships in Nilai in February. “Some of them will also go to Japan for a competition in November to collect points to qualify for the World Para Track Cycling Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in March. “There is also the Asian Para Games in Indonesia in October next year.
“Our cyclists produced fantastic results at the Asean Para Games and I believe those earmarked for these important competitions will be fired up to get on the podium.
“We want to do well in Asia although China and Japan are the powerhouse for para cycling,” said Johari.
Malaysia only started the para track cycling programme in 2013.
It bore fruit the following year as the cyclists managed to win one silver and three bronzes at the Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Afiq Afify Rizan-Khairul Adha Rasol then claimed a historic bronze in the men’s (B) sprint at this year’s World Para Championships in Los Angeles, the United States, in March.