KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hopes the Corbusier Cycling Club (Team Corbusier) can produce more potential state winners to grab as many medals in Sukma 2016 in cycling events.
“Sarawak will be hosting Sukma 2016. Hopefully Team Corbusier can produce more winners for cycling events through its development programme in two years,” he said this at a press conference at Masja in Petra Jaya yesterday.
Karim wished to see teenage riders gaining great achievements to build up Sarawak in the cycling arena.
He said in the past Sukma, Sarawak was strong in mountain bike cycling.
Looking at the good performance and age aspect, Karim said this cycling club was not only involved in competitions but also have development programmes to build up young riders.
He also complimented that the club was a cycling club for Sarawakians to be proud of. and that the state government would want to make sure the team was assisted.
He announced a government pledge of RM50,000 and personal contribution of RM10,000 for the club.
According to the team director Safri Mohammed, the team was set up in 2012 here with the objective to improve Sarawak’s cycling performance in major cycling events in Malaysia.
The team won the first stage in the Borneo Tour 2013 and the third place in Klasifikasi Mata (Jersi Hijau) in Jelajah Malaysia 2013 held by Union Cycliste Internationale and Malaysia National Cycling Federation.
“There were many achievements either in Road Race or Mountainbike. In 2014, apart from state competitions, the team will also participate in national and international competitions like GP Kebangsaan Race, Jelajah Malaysia, Jelajah Borneo, Piala Ketua Menteri Melaka and Kejohanan Basikal Bukit Antarabangsa Langkawi,” he said.
Safri said the team would use Social Development Ministry’s financial allocations and facilities to provide comprehensive and consistent training to prepare riders to go for competitions.
They also provide qualified and experienced trainers to train the junior team to be competitive and hopefully achieve some success in every event.