KUALA LUMPUR – More than 400 local and international cyclists, including 53 para-cyclists, have confirmed their participation for the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC 2023) that will be held at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negri Sembilan from June 14 to 19.
Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) honorary vice-president Datuk Abu Samah Abd Wahab said China, Japan, and Malaysia are sending the highest number of riders for the championships, which offers qualifying points for next year’s Paris Olympics.
Riders from other countries participating in the championships are from Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macau, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Iran.
“Almost all the cycling powers in the region like China, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia will be fielding riders in all events contested in the championships,” said Abu Samah in a statement today.
“The most exciting news or rather surprising news is that Laos are sending their riders for the track cycling competition. Laos have never participated in a track cycling competition held in Kuala Lumpur. This is a positive development for track cycling.
“This proves that track cycling is popular in the Asian continent. We are ready to assist Laos if they face any problems throughout their stay in Bandar Baru Nilai.”
Abu Samah, who is also Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president, believes a number of other countries including Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar plan to send riders to international competitions.
“Actually there are countries that are considering taking part in ACC 2023. Entry for participation is still open and we hope there will be countries that will submit their entry forms to MNCF,” he said.
He added that India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Iran, China, and Malaysia will be fielding participants for the para-track cycling categories contested.
Meanwhile, Abu Samah said teams participating in the competition are expected to arrive in the capital by the end of the week, ahead of the practice rounds that start on Sunday at the National Velodrome.
“The opening ceremony for ACC 2023 is scheduled for June 13, while the first event of the championships will be the 200m omnium sprint that is scheduled at 9am,” he said. – Bernama, June 6, 2023
