PETALING JAYA, July 14 — The National Sports Council (NSC) has denied allegations of weaknesses in the national road cycling team’s preparations for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, asserting that funding has already been channelled to the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
Its director-general Jefri Ngadirin said a RM300,000 allocation had been approved, with part of the amount already disbursed to fund preparations for the biennial games.
“We held a workshop to list athletes for the SEA Games with the MNCF on January 16, and both parties agreed that the road cycling team will consist of professional riders.
“However, the decision to choose either Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) or Malaysian Pro Cycling (MPC) lies under the jurisdiction of the MNCF,” he told the press after attending the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM)-100PLUS Awards 2024 today.
Jefri added that claims that the NSC had not provided support in terms of needs or preparations should not have arisen, given that team selection was the MNCF's responsibility.
Commenting on the MNCF's request to purchase bicycles, he said that if TSG were chosen to compete at the Games, the matter would not arise as the team already possesses the necessary equipment.
“If there is a new plan or additional requests, I urge the MNCF to come and discuss with us so we can evaluate the matter together,” Jefri said.
Meanwhile, the issue of clubs pulling out should not arise, given the prior understanding between NSC and MNCF.
Meanwhile, the issue of clubs pulling out should not arise, given the prior understanding between NSC and the MNCF.
Earlier, MNCF president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill stressed that the national road cycling squad would not withdraw from the 2025 SEA Games and would aim to defend the medals won in the previous edition.
Yesterday, it was reported that TSG and MPC felt their contributions were not appreciated after a RM250,000 request for Games preparation was rejected by the NSC at a meeting last week.
— Bernama
