IPOH, Nov 3 — Perak Cycling Association (PCA) has strongly denied reports that Ipoh’s Velodrome Rakyat will be torn down under the orders of International Cycling Union (UCI).

Its president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said there was no discussionn about the velodrome during last week’s UCI Management Committee meeting in Guilin, China, let alone any directive to tear the track down.

The New Straits Times and Malay Mail were instrumental in launching a nationwide donation drive to support the idea of MNCF life president Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill to construct the Velodrome Rakyat in Ipoh in 1986.

The nation’s first cycling venue was completed in 1989 and named Veldrome Rakyat as it was built from the funds collected from the public.

Following a series of Malay Mail reports last year after the velodrome fell into a state of disrepair, substantial government funds were spent to revive the venue.

In 2016, the Youth and Sports Ministry allocated RM11 million for refurbishment of the 250m timber track.

Amarjit, a member of the UCI’s management board and Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) vice-president, stressed Velodrome Rakyat had not even been mentioned during the day-long meeting on Oct 25.

“I am very surprised about the source of this information.If there is any decision pertaining to Asia or Malaysia, I will be the first to be informed and consulted,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“There is no truth in the story UCI had given any directive on this matter.”

A report by a local daily claimed UCI had ordered the velodrome to be torn down during a recent executive management meeting, as the structure failed to satisfy the body’s homologation specifications.

Because of this, the report raised the possibility the venue may not be completed in time for next year’s Malaysia Games (in June), raising the possibility of cycling events to be scrapped.

Homologation is the process of ensuring that everything built in the velodrome properly adheres to UCI standards.

Addressing this, Amarjit explained the homologation process is still ongoing, adding the UCI was welcome to make recommendations to the track.

However, he rubbished claims the cycling events would be dropped from Malaysia Games 2018.

Amarjit said the track and facilities are ready, with the exception of the timing system which would be completed by next month.

“For any national events to take place on a track, it only requires homologation by the national federation, which is the MNCF.

“Therefore, any questions of the Malaysia Games track events being dropped should not arise at all.”

The velodrome — built in 1984 with donations from the public — has been unusable since 2013.

The velodrome has hosted numerous national, regional and international competitions such as the SEA Games as well as the Asian and World Cycling Championships.