Abd Karim regrets sudden cancellation of Tour of Sarawak (TOS) 2016

March 18, 2016

SIBU: The last-minute cancellation of ‘Tour of Sarawak (TOS) 2016’ cycling race has inconvenienced the participating teams as well as the supporting department and agencies, Assistant Youth Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said yesterday.

Expressing regret over the matter, he suggested that the organiser should have been more professional in organising an event of this magnitude.

“They should not have let the event be abruptly cancelled and causing so much inconvenience to participating teams, and supporting department and agencies.

“How could they keep silent till the end without informing participating teams that the event could not proceed. Surely, they would know about their financial standing months ago and could make a decision whether to go ahead with the race or not,” Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, added.

Though the sports of cycling in Sarawak would not be affected, the image of Malaysia and Sarawak would be tainted by dubious organisers like this, he opined.

Meanwhile, Bernama has reported that the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) was ready to foot the transportation bill of teams involved in the Tour of Sarawak (ToS) 2016 due to the cancellation of the tour at the eleventh hour.

MNCF president Datuk Abu Samah Abdul Wahab was reported to have described the episode (cancellation) as embarrassing.

Sarawak terkilan TOS2016 batal

March 16, 2016

KUCHING: Kerajaan Sarawak terkilan dengan pembatalan program jelajah lumba basikal, Tour of Sarawak 2016 (TOS2016) di Bandaraya Miri, yang sepatutnya bermula semalam.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia dan Sukan Negeri, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, berkata pihaknya masih belum dapat memastikan punca sebenar pembatalan itu dan akan meminta penjelasan lanjut daripada pihak penganjur.

"Program ini dikendalikan sebuah syarikat pengurusan acara manakala kerajaan negeri dan agensi berkaitan dibawahnya hanya menguruskan keperluan logistik.

"Malah kita turut dimaklumkan mereka (syarikat penganjur) memiliki sumber kewangan mencukupi untuk menganjurkan acara ini. Kita beranggapan semua persiapan berjalan lancar sehingga wakil penganjur meminta bertemu saya dua hari lalu bagi memohon bantuan kerajaan negeri menyelamatkan keadaan," katanya ketika dihubungi malam tadi.

Viral di laman sosial

Mengikut perancangan yang sepatutnya, TOS2016 bermula di Bandaraya Miri, semalam sebelum berakhir di Bandaraya Kuching, dengan beberapa lokasi di seluruh negeri menjadi pusat persinggahan.

Penganjur siri jelajah lumba basikal berstatus 'UCI 2.2' itu adalah yang pertama seumpamanya dianjurkan di Sarawak.

Bagaimanapun, pihak penganjur dikatakan menghadapi masalah dalaman, termasuk membabitkan isu kewangan hingga menyebabkan beberapa pelumba dan krew pasukan bertanding terkandas di Lapangan Terbang Miri, kelmarin.

Tour of Sarawak fiasco: State govt embarrassed over cancellation, demands explanation from organiser

15 March 2016

KUCHING: The Sarawak government has expressed its disappointment over the fiasco surrounding the planned ‘Tour of Sarawak 2016’ international cycling championship event, which has been dogged by controversy.

Assistant State Social Development Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state government was also embarrassed by the cancellation of the event, which was linked to the lack of funding by the organiser of the championship.

Karim said the event organisers should be more responsible and that they owe the state government an explanation over the disastrous management of the event.

“I am surprised myself that the event has got into this chaotic end. I am sad that it could not proceed as planned.

“I am unaware of what had happened (which had led to the cancellation of the event) but I believe it is related to financing.

“The organiser should have been more responsible. So much inconvenience has been caused to the numerous teams whose cyclists had trained for the event, only to be frustrated by it being abruptly cancelled.

“The state Government and state Ministry of Social Development are embarrassed by this last-minute cancellation, which was totally beyond our control,” Karim told the New Straits Times.

Pedal power to boost tourism

August 15, 2015

Please join in: The TOS2016 committee welcomes cycling enthusiasts to join the championship in January.

KUCHING: The Tour of Sarawak International Cycling Championship (TOS2016) is expected to propel Sarawak into the world map, especially among world cycling community.

Themed “Sports Tourism is the Next Big Thing”, this five-day championship from Jan 13 to 17, 2016 is organised by Fadz Industries Sdn Bhd with the collaboration of Sarawak Ministry of Social Develop- ment and Ministry of Sports and Youth Malaysia.

The race will start from Miri to major cities in the state, namely Bintulu, Sibu, Sarikei, Betong, Sri Aman, Serian and ending in Kuching.

This 2.2-rating championship is the first large cycling event organised in the state and it will be similar to the idea of Tour de Langkawi or Tour de France.

Around 20 international and national teams will take part in the race. Sub-state teams are subjected to invitations because the race only involves continental teams and semi-professional teams.

Registration will open in September and the teams must comply with the standard rating of 2.2.

Youth Development (Urban) Assistant Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah said this championship was given recognition by the International Cycling Union. Therefore winners of the race will be given accreditation.

Aksi lumba basikal berprestij

August 13, 2015

Sarawak bakal jadi tumpuan antarabangsa menerusi penganjuran Tour of Sarawak 2016

BAKAL MENGGEGAR: (Duduk dari kiri) Mawan, Karim dan Fadzli pada sidang media Tour of Sarawak 2016 semalam.

KUCHING: Sarawak bakal menjadi hab perlumbaan berbasikal bertaraf dunia susulan penganjuran Kejohanan Berbasikal Antarabangsa Tour of Sarawak 2016 (ToS2016) yang akan diadakan di sini dari 13 hingga 17 Januari 2016.

Perlumbaan ala Le Tour de Langkawi itu dianjur dengan ker jasama Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial Sarawak, Kementerian Pelancongan Sarawak, Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Malaysia dan Fadz Industries Sdn Bhd.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, perlumbaan bertema ‘Sport Tourism is the Next Big Thing’ itu julung kali diadakan di Sarawak di mana ia meliputi jarak sejauh 765km merentasi beberapa bandar utama negeri ini.

“Perlumbaan ini akan diadakan secara berperingkat selama lima hari bermula di bandar raya Miri dan berakhir di Kuching.

“Ia berkonsepkan Tour de Langkawi atau Tour de France dan menjadi perlumbaan berbasikal terbesar pernah dianjur di Sarawak,” katanya pada sidang media di Bangunan Baitul Makmur semalam.

Hadir sama Menteri Pembangunan Sosial Tan Sri William Mawan dan Pengarah Projek Fadz Industries Mohd Fadzli Mat Yusof.

Menurut Karim, perlumbaan tersebut akan membantu meletakkan Sarawak di peta dunia berikutan kehadiran ramai pelumba malah media asing semasa temasya tersebut berlangsung kelak.

The Next BIG THING

August 13, 2015

LET’S HAVE IT: Mawan (seated front row left) Abdul Karim (front row, centre) and project director Mohd Fadzil Mat Yusof (front row, right) pose and thumbs up during the press conference at the Meeting Room, Level 3, Baitulmakmur building yesterday.

Tour of Sarawak to be held Jan 13 to 17, 2016

KUCHING: Sarawak to host its first Tour of Sarawak International Cycling Championship (TOS 2016) held from January 13 to 17 next year.

Themed ‘Sports Tourism is the Next Big Thing’ is expected to bring about an impact which will place Sarawak on the world map, especially among the world cycling community.

The five-day championship - or better known as a continental race and sanctioned by the Union Cycling Internationale (UCI) - will feature a distance of 765 Km and start from the city of Miri, ending in the city of Kuching and will race across major towns of Bintulu, Sibu, Sarikei, Betong,Sri Aman, Serian and Sematan.

Four categories will be contested namely Overall Rider, King of Mountain, Best Sprinter and Best Malaysian Rider (Chief Minister Cup).

Assistant Minister of Youth Development (Urban), Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said in a press conference at the Meeting Room, Level 3, Baitulmakmur building, here, yesterday a total of 20 teams, both local and international, will battle for the overall prize of RM200,000 which will be paid in Euro.

Local teams include TSG (Terengganu), MSN, Malaysia Team and Sarawak Semi Pro team while the other 16 teams are foreign teams.

He added that a positive impact is expected through an economic spillover effect towards the cycling industry and also towards the tourism and cultural industries in the state.