Choose which pro team to send to the Sea Games, NSC tells MNCF

New Straits Times

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Sports Council (NSC), in a bizarre move, has asked the Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) to choose which professional cycling team it wants to represent the country at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20).
NSC has told MNCF to choose between sending Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) and Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) - the country's only two UCI continental sides - to the competition.
It is a peculiar decision as Malaysia has over the past two editions combined riders from both teams to great effect, winning gold in the mass start road race through TSG riders Nur Aiman Zariff (Hanoi 2021) and Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (2023 Phnom Penh) thanks to backing from other TSG and MPC riders.
NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin said the agency has already allocated RM300,000 to MNCF to prepare a team for the biennial games.
"We have discussed preparations for the Thailand Sea Games with MNCF during a workshop on Jan 16 and both parties agreed that the national team will be comprised of pro riders," said Jefri today (July 16
"It is, however, up to MNCF to choose which team, either TSG or MPC, to send to the Sea Games.
"NSC has already channeled a portion of the RM300,000 allocated for Sea Games preparations to MNCF and thus, I believe there should not be any issue about preparations for the teams not being done adequately."
MNCF last week disclosed that only RM196,000 of the allocation remains after expenses incurred to prepare and send riders to the Asian Championships in Thailand earlier this year.
MPC last week expressed their disappointment with NSC after requests made via MNCF for additional funding - including a request to purchase new time trial bikes - for the Sea Games were turned down outright by NSC during a recent meeting with the MNCF road committee.
MPC team principal Sayuti Zahit said Malaysia needs the new time trial bikes to compete on a level playing field with fellow contenders in the event such as Thailand and the Philippines.
Sayuti said MPC will withdraw their riders from the Sea Games squad if they do not receive any positive news from NSC by next month.
"MNCF have made a number of requests, including requests to purchase new bikes," said Jefri.
"However, if they do choose TSG as the main team, they (TSG) already have all the equipment (needed). Thus it depends on which party MNCF chooses.
"We have discussed this with MNCF a number of times, thus, statements about withdrawing from the games should not be made.
"If they (MNCF) have other plans, they can come and sit down with NSC again to discuss and we can go over what other requirements they need for the Sea Games."
Malaysia has won six gold medals in road cycling at the Sea Games over the past five editions (2015-2023). Prior to that, Malaysian cycling had suffered a 10-year gold drought at the Sea Games (2005-2015).
Meanwhile, MNCF president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill assured that they will send a team to defend Malaysia's gold medal at the Thailand Sea Games.
Amarjit stressed that he is willing to mediate between the parties involved.
"The men's squad will defend the mass start road race gold they won in Cambodia, this is for certain. I will go to the ground to make it happen," said Amarjit in a statement released today.
"I am prepared to personally meet with any party who is not satisfied with NSC. MNCF has a positive relationship with NSC.