ISKANDAR PUTERI, Dec 6 — The official recognition of the World Cycling Center (WCC) Regional Development Satellite (RDS) in Johor Bahru as the first International Cycling Union (UCI) Satellite Centres in Southeast Asia is a significant milestone for cycling development in the region.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the UCI satellite centre here is also the fourth in Asia after South Korea, China, and Japan.

“There are only 11 such satellite centres in the world, and Malaysia now joins that list. This is a very good achievement and a proud moment for Johor to have this centre here for the region,” she said at a press conference after the launch of the centre the Johor Velodrome here today.

The satellite centre would increase Malaysia’s presence in the regional cycling scene, she added.

“With this centre now being recognised, I hope it opens more room for grant support, not just from UCI, but also from the Malaysian government and Johor,” she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said the WCC was established to develop young athletes, including in BMX and track cycling, and is expected to become a hub for nurturing young athletes in the region while boosting Malaysia’s presence in the international cycling community.

“We will work with coaches from WCC in Switzerland and other experts to nurture as many athletes as possible.

The satellite centre is designed to support not just Malaysia, but neighbouring ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brunei. This enables training together, knowledge sharing, and fostering regional cycling talent,” he added.

Meanwhile, UCI president David Lappartient shared that the union hopes to continue expanding the reach of cycling worldwide.

“We have 206 national federations affiliated with the UCI, which shows that cycling is truly a global sport. We must maintain universality within our sport and across our disciplines, and this is why we wanted to build a large network of satellite centres,” he added. — Bernama