Malaysian National Cycling Federation Seeks RM2 Million Annual Funding to Enhance National Road Cycling Squad
The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) requires at least RM2 million annually to enhance the performance of the national road cycling squad, according to its president, Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill.
Sustainable Training Programme
The amount, which takes into account both the men’s and women’s teams, is necessary to ensure a sustainable training programme, as well as to cover international competitions in the future. "We have prepared a working paper for both the men’s and women’s teams. The funding that we need to ensure a sustainable programme is about two million a year. Not only for their local events, we are talking about going international," said Amarjit.
Funding for International Competitions
The expenses for the squad’s competitions are not cheap, according to Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh. "As mentioned by Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh, the expenses for the squad’s competitions are not cheap, flight tickets, travel, and so on," said Amarjit.
Restoring Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh
Amarjit also hopes the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) will assist in restoring the Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh, which is currently unusable due to the wooden track surface rotting. The track should be resurfaced and a roof added to the venue so it can last longer. "The velodrome was renovated in 2016 by KBS, and at that time, they decided to keep the wooden track. The Perak Cycling Association (PCA) advised adding a simple roof to cover the newly installed track and protect the wooden surface from rain and sun. It only requires about RM1 to RM2 million more, but this did not happen. If it had been done, the track might still be in good condition," he said.
Renovation Cost
The renovation done in 2016 cost around RM10 million, which included improvements to other facilities in the venue, such as rooms and timing systems.
Minister’s Response
Yesterday, Hannah said her ministry was ready to consider the three requests made by MNCF to the ministry, which are upgrading the Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh, Perak, providing special funding for the national road cycling squad, and allocating funds for the association to organise future competitions.
Conclusion
The Malaysian National Cycling Federation requires RM2 million annually to enhance the performance of the national road cycling squad, and is seeking assistance from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to achieve this goal. The federation is also hoping to restore the Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh, which is currently unusable due to the wooden track surface rotting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does the Malaysian National Cycling Federation require annually to enhance the performance of the national road cycling squad?
A: RM2 million
Q: What is the purpose of the funding?
A: To ensure a sustainable training programme and to cover international competitions in the future
Q: What is the current condition of the Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh?
A: The track is currently unusable due to the wooden track surface rotting
Q: What is the estimated cost to restore the Velodrom Rakyat in Ipoh?
A: RM1 to RM2 million