Sensibility prevails
Keirin and sprint back on the menu for Indonesia Asian Games
PETALING JAYA: The high-flying Malaysian cycling squad received more good news. The Indonesia Asian Games Organising Committee (INASGOC) have decided to include keirin, sprint and team sprint events at the Asian Games in Jakarta next year.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation president Datuk Abu Samah Abdul Wahab relayed the news to coach John Beasley during the SEA Games track cycling competition at the National Velodrome in Nilai last week.
“It’s certainly good news for our cyclists. The other countries like Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong were also concerned over this development. The sprint, keirin and team sprint are big events not just at the Asian Games but also at the Olympics, so it would make no sense to leave them out,” said Beasley.
The events were reinstated after the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) appealed to the Olympic Council of Asia.
The news will be a boost to the cyclists who will be looking to ride on the momentum from the KL SEA Games to shine at the Asiad.
Malaysia won a total of 13 golds, 10 silvers and three bronzes at the recent SEA Games. And 11 out of the 13 golds came from the track.
Reigning world champion Azizulhasni Awang will be out to regain the men’s keirin gold. Fatehah Mustapa, a four-gold medallist at the KL Games, will hope to go one step further after settling for silver in the women’s keirin at the last Asian Games in Incheon in 2014.
Fatehah became the first Malaysian woman to stand on the podium in cycling at the South Korean city.