Recently I was invited to the appreciation dinner and awards presentation ceremony that was organised by the Sarawak Cycling Association (SCA) which was held at the Sarawak of Jalan Taman Budaya in Kuching. The function was organised to present awards to our exemplary cycling athletes who had won numerous championships at national level in 2025 especially in track and BMX events. It was a pleasure to have the presence of Malaysia National Cycling Federation ((MNCF) president, Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill who is also on leadership roles with the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) and is a vice-president at International Cycling Union (UCI).
In my speech, I did mention many things including the lack of a velodrome which in many ways had limited the development of track cycling in Sarawak. We need proper infrastructure development which is essential to build high-performance athletes for Sarawak which wants to be known to be a sports powerhouse in cycling as well as a reputable organiser of sporting events.
We do not want to just be a good organiser. We want to be champions. Because of that, our government has agreed in principle to the construction of a velodrome, which will form part of Sarawak’s broader efforts to strengthen its sports ecosystem alongside BMX and mountain biking facilities. I was pleased to reveal that the land accreditation process involving more than 60 acres near the Sarawak Sports Complex in Petra Jaya has largely been completed and described the site as suitable for the development of a major sports hub.
When we have our own velodrome, it will be able to increase the spirit and interest towards competitive cycling. Apart from that, I have also highlighted the importance of cycling clubs as the foundation of the sport’s development in Sarawak with cycling has historically grown through club-based structures since the 1960s and continues to do so today.
Thus, I have called for stronger focus on youth development, particularly among cyclists in the age group between 15 to 17. This can ensure Sarawak can progressively develop a sustainable pipeline of competitive and event ready athletes capable of delivering results in the future. I have also congratulated the Sarawak Cycling Association for being recognised as the best cycling association in Malaysia based on the recent sterling performances of our young cyclists at this year’s national championships. It is a collective achievement that reflects the progress made in developing the sport at Sarawaklevel.
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