Over 20 teams at 4th edition of Samarahan Bike Challenge

March 20, 2017

Elite category winners having a group photo with Karim after the prize presentation ceremony.

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Local and foreign cyclists from more than 20 teams competed in Samarahan Bike Challenge 2017 which started and ended at Summer Mall in Jalan Datuk Mohd Musa here yesterday.

They raced in the men’s elite 42 km criterium, veteran all star 36 km criterium, Sarawak Closed 42km criterium, Junior men’s 30km criterium, and women’s 30km criterium.

Themed ‘The Road Warrior,’ the fourth edition of the event was organised by DTTG Samarahan, Samarahan District Office and Sarawak Bicycle Association.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah felt the event deserves support as cycling is one of the core sports competed in Sukma. 

Apart from grooming new talents, organisers also aim to promote Kota Samarahan as a sport tourism destination and a destination in criterium bike events (closed circuit).

Karim urges sports organisers to work closely with MoT

October 10, 2016

Abdul Karim (holding flag) with other officials flagging off one of the races of the 2016 Samarahan Bike Challenge yesterday.

KOTA SAMARAHAN: About 120 cyclists took part in the 2016 Samarahan Bike Challenge yesterday.

Taking off in front of the Summer Mall here, they competed in five categories – Elite, Junior, Veteran ‘All Stars’, Ladies and the Summer Mall Closed.

Jointly organised by DTTG Samarahan, the Samarahan District Office and the Sarawak Cycling Association, the event offered cash prizes totaling RM10,800.

Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who flagged off the races, expressed the hope that the event could be a future calendar event in the state.

He advised organisers to work closely with the Ministry of Tourism to further advance their main objective of popularising cycling to the younger generation, especially students, students of higher education institutions and local communities.

The event could be organised on a larger scale in future to more international cyclists, he hoped.

Abdul Karim suspicious with motive

August 06, 2016

KUCHING: Sarawak Cycling Association (SCA) president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah was baffled with the ongoing investigation by the Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) on the SUKMA cycling venues.

He said he just couldn't dismiss the possibilities of some quarters were trying to project a negative image of the association or the State.

Abdul Karim, as quoted by a national English daily yesterday, said there had been a lot of nasty and unflattering remarks hurled against the association that had caused him to be suspicious on the current issue revolving around the organisation of SUKMA.

“Is this the work of disgruntled people who are unhappy because they were unable to get benefits from the association or are they just trying to tarnish the state’s image over our successful feat in organising this year’s Sukma?” he asked.

He, however, said SCA would cooperate with the MACC in its probe.

Meanwhile Sarawak MACC director Datuk Badrul Shah Norman had confirmed that the commission had questioned 6 persons, including the SCA secretary Zulaihi Seri, as to ascertain whether there was any element of corruption involved in the venues’ substandard facilities.

“This is true. We have recorded statements from six witnesses, including the (association) secretary, since Monday. 

Abdul Karim welcomes MACC probe on Sukma cycling events

August 4, 2016

KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah welcomes the investigation carried out by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) on misappropriation of funds for cycling events at the just concluded 18th Sukma here.

He said the investigation was carried out to find if there was any wrongdoing.

“An official statement will be forthcoming. MACC is doing their investigation in the event of any wrongdoing and I welcome that,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.

He was asked to comment on the shocking revelation that MACC raided the homes of two cycling officials here on Monday where they seized documents related to the organisation of cycling events at Sukma.

A national daily reported that the raid was said to be part of an investigation following allegations that had gone viral on social media where the local cycling community posted pictures of shoddy

props including a haphazardly erected start-and-finish gantry with scaffolding poles at the track events and voiced their outrage over the poor organisation of the cycling events.

It was also reported that several Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) commissaries had made it known that the BMX track in Bukit Siol was not up to the required standard although constructed with an allocation of RM1 million from the state government.