SERI KEMBANGAN, May 4 — The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is still looking for a suitable location to build an outdoor velodrome for public use as a long-term investment in developing young talent in Malaysia.
Minister Hannah Yeoh said this is because cycling is one of the outstanding sports that contributes medals in international competitions.
“... for track cycling, what I am striving for is a facility where talent development can take place. (For example) currently (students) in the Klang Valley but the velodrome is in Nilai.
“But if school students in the Klang Valley want to pick up this sport, they have nowhere to go. That’s what I’m working on at KBS to have an outdoor velodrome,” she told reporters after the Enrich Bodybuilding Awards ceremony 2024 here today.
On March 9, KBS said it had started discussions with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to identify a suitable area for building an outdoor velodrome for public use.
Meanwhile, Hannah said the Road To Gold (RTG) Committee would meet soon to discuss calls for including national track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri in the Fast Track programme following her qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Hannah said national track cycling head coach John Beasley praised the potential of the 21-year-old rider and hoped she would make Malaysia less dependent on the exploits of cycling ace Mohd Azizulhasni Awang.
Earlier, KBS provided funding through a ministerial allocation of RM20,000 to the Enrich Bodybuilding Club to further elevate the status of the sport in the Klang Valley. — Bernama
