About 1,000 people expected at Kayuhan Mesra Warisan 2014

February 19, 2014

Abdul Karim (fourth left) showing the T-shirt having his name printed on it at the media conference.

KUCHING: About 1,000 people of all ages and background are expected at the first ever cycling programme – Kayuhan Mesra Warisan 2014 (Heritage Friendly Paddling 2014) – to be held here on Feb 23.

Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the activity, the First Vehicle-Free Day in the city, would cover a distance of five kilometers around the historical heritage sites and tourist attractions in the city centre and several settlements in Satok area.

Announcing the programme at a media conference here yesterday, he said the event, to kick off at 6am at the Kuching Waterfront Esplanade, was to celebrate Visit Malaysia Year and Visit Sarawak Year 2014, apart from promoting cycling as a healthy recreational activity among the local people.

The programme was also aimed at introducing Sarawak tourism mini ambassador to the local people.

The roads from Kuching Waterfront Esplanade to Jalan Ajibah Abol, Jalan Patinggan, Jalan Kulas, Jalan Haji Taha and back to the starting point will be closed to traffic during the period to allow for smoother ride for the cyclists.

Abdul Karim said Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg would flag off the participants, who would make a stop at Darul Maziah, a 300-year-old traditional Malay house at Kampung No. 6 for a briefing.

“Cycling is a recreational activity which is getting more popular among the youths in Sarawak and Kuching in particular. People of all ages and gender are seen cycling everyday not for race but as a recreational activity.

CycleFest Sarawak 2013 starts this weekend

March 28, 2013

KUCHING: Over 200 participants are expected to take part in the CycleFest Sarawak 2013 which will be held from this Friday to Sunday at Padang Merdeka. 

Assistant Minister of Youth Development, Abdul Karim Hamzah said the annual event, which was held for the second year, aimed to promote cycling and tourism in the state and had attracted cyclists from neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

“The second edition sees the introduction of multi-stage category racing for the first time to cater cyclists from different fitness levels. Participants have the opportunity to experience the tour-like racing in two stages. 

The Stage 1 Team Trial (30 March) covers a 15-km fast course in Petra Jaya, starting from the New DUN building and ends at Padang Merdeka,” he disclosed during a press conference held at Baitulmakmur building here on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, the Stage 2 Century Road Race (31March) presents a challenging 165km route that starts and ends in Padang Merdeka. The participants will be cycling through three districts (Kuching, Samarahan and Serian), which features contrasts of bustling towns and rustic villages, beautiful lush green surroundings and some technical lumpy sections. 

Thus, Karim urged members of the public, especially the road users to be considerate and cooperative during the weekends to ensure the event goes smoothly. 

He added CycleFest Sarawak 2013 offers over RM16,000 cash prizes and trophies for all categories. 

   

Lumba Basikal GP Kebangsaan Sirkit Sarawak tawar hadiah RM14,290

September 6, 2012

KUCHING: Lebih 150 pelumba basikal terbaik dari seluruh negara akan menyertai Kejohanan Lumba Basikal GP Kebangsaan Sirkit Sarawak 2012 di Jalan Politeknik/Matang pada 22 dan 23 September ini.

Kejohanan yang menawarkan hadiah berjumlah keseluruhan RM14,290 itu dianjur oleh Persatuan Berbasikal Negeri Sarawak (PBS) dengan kerjasama Persekutuan Kebangsaan Berbasikal Malaysia (PKBM) dan mendapat sokongan Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial (KPS).

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata sirkit di Sarawak adalah yang ketiga daripada lima sirkit selepas Kedah dan Kelantan.

Sirkit keempat akan diadakan di Perak pada November 2012 (200km) dan kelima di Melaka pada Disember 2012 (250km).

“Objektif utama kejohanan tersebut adalah meningkatkan mutu pelumba-pelumba kebangsaan di samping mencungkil bakat-bakat baharu dalam sukan kompetitif ini,” katanya semasa sidang media di Bangunan Baitul Makmur semalam.

Turut hadir ialah Setiausaha Tetap KPS Affandi Keli, Ketua Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Sukan KPS Mering Wan dan Setiausaha PBS Zulaihi Seri.

“Melalui kejohanan ini juga, kita dapat mengenal pasti pelumba-pelumba yang layak dan berpotensi untuk mewakili negara di peringkat antarabangsa.

Assistant minister encourages cyclists to improve skills

July 5, 2012

KUCHING: Cycling enthusiasts here must improve their skills in order to be able to compete with other cyclists from the state.

In giving this advice yesterday, Assistant Minister for Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also called on avid cyclists in the state, especially youths, to continue to develop their interest and train hard so they can represent the state or country.

“I’m very happy the interest in cycling is booming among Sarawakians. What we also want from this is also for cycling enthusiasts to take on competitive cycling in the future.

“Who knows we can have someone who can represent the state in national or international events,” said Karim, who is also Sarawak Cycling Association president.

He said this when launching ‘Jom Kayuh’ programme and the launching of ‘UiTM Staff Health Book’ at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Samarahan campus.

Karim said cycling is one of the most ideal forms of transportation for university students which not only promotes health but is budget-friendly.

“During one of my visits to Europe, cycling seems to be one of the best modes of transportation in campuses. It does not only promote health, but provides ease of movement,” he said.

Le Tour de Langkawi in Borneo?

November 8, 2010

KUCHING: State and local riders have to improve themselves threefold to justify the need for a major international cycling event to be hosted in Sarawak.

WOMEN POWER: Participants of the Women Open of the Malaysia National Cycling Grand Prix 2010 (Road Race) warming up before the race yesterday.

“There is no point in having a race here if our local riders are not up to the mark,” said Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, president of the Sarawak Cycling Association.

Karim was commenting on the suggestion made by Mohamad Salleh, CEO of the La Tour de Langkawi to bring the international event here.

“We however sincerely hope that one day, an event of such magnitude can be held here. This can be a reality as Sarawak is more or less already linked by roads,” said Karim who have yet to identify the race routes proper.

Early suggestion includes that the event take on major and challenging routes from Kuching to Miri and pass through Brunei Darussalam to the finishing line at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

“Presently, if we organise such events here, there is a lot of angles to be looked into such as logistics and accommodation. This will take a lot of extra costs as compared to holding it in Semenanjung Malaysia,” he added.

This is also true at the end of the spectrum for Sarawakians who travels to Semenanjung Malaysia for races.