KUALA TERENGGANU – All five cyclists and crew members of the Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team (TSG) in Alanya, Turkiye for the Antalya Tour are safe from the earthquake that hit the country.
The cyclists are Aiman Cahyadi, Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan, Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin, Metkel Eyob, and Anatolii Budiak.
TSG chief operating officer Nasiruddin Wan Idrus said the team’s camp was about 500km from the epicentre of the earthquake in the city of Gaziantep.
He said his people were trying to organise the return journey of the national cyclists and crew, but faced several challenges, including congestion, at airports there.
“The organiser of the International Cycling Union 2.1 Antalya Tour, scheduled for February 9 to 12, has postponed the tour due to the earthquake.
“Although we are far off, about 500km away from the epicentre of the earthquake, the tremors were felt by the riders and crew,” he said when contacted today.
According to Wan Nasiruddin, although the tour had been cancelled, it has not affected the cyclists’ spirit to continue hunting for points in the other tour series.
He also said following the cancellation of the event, the TSG team will now focus on the one-day Muscat Classic in Oman to be held on February 11 and the Oman Tour from February 11 to 15.
“The airports in Turkiye are now congested since countries are sending aid and volunteers on humanitarian missions there. However, with the help of several parties, we hope to be able to bring our riders and crew home soon,” he added.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkiye at 4.17am local time. claiming more than 1,400 lives so far. – Bernama, February 7, 2023
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