KUALA LUMPUR − Malaysia has won the bid to host the 2023 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ATC), which will be held at the National Velodrome in Nilai.
However, no dates have been fixed yet.
This will be the first international track cycling tournament to be hosted by Malaysia since the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation vice-president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said the championships will carry crucial qualifying points for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to him, this is good news for the national riders, especially track cycling aces Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, as they will have home ground advantage and the vociferous backing of local fans.
“I feel happy that Malaysia − after a debate and discussion during the ACC (Asian Cycling Confederation) management committee meeting − finally won the bid to host the 2023 ATC. This will be the country’s first international event for track (cycling) since Covid-19 started.
“We are very excited and hope to do our best. We are here to assist our athletes to achieve their goals and (realise their) potential so that they can qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Malaysia last hosted the ATC in 2018 at the National Velodrome and the national squad − led by Azizulhasni − failed to shine.
Azizulhasni only managed to bag a silver in men’s sprint and bronze in men’s keirin. However, “The Pocket Rocketman” did manage to break the ten-second barrier at sea level for the first time in his sprint career. – Bernama, March 29, 2022
