Dr Ong (centre) speaks at the press conference as other officials look on.
KUCHING: Junior Cycling Malaysia (JCM) Sarawak Series 2019 incorporating a road race and criterium race will be held at the Sarawak Stadium Complex, Petra Jaya this weekend (July 13 and 14).
The event is jointly organised by CIMB Foundation Junior Cycling Malaysia (JCM) in collaboration with the state Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Art, Youth and Sports (MTACYS), Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and Sarawak Cycling Association (SCA).
“This Cycling Championship event is the first ever ClMB-JCM Series held in Sarawak. Its main objective is to nurture and to talent scout new cycling athletes nationwide while, at the same time, it aims to provide aspiring cycling athletes with a competitive and high performance cycling platform and exposure in the local, regional and international cycling arena,” said SSC CEO Dr Ong Kong Swee who held a press conference to introduce the event at the Stadium Negeri on Tuesday.
In consonance with its slogan ‘The Path of Champions,’ he added, the championship lays down a significant professional sport career pedestal for young aspiring champions nation-wide in general and Sarawak in particular. It seeks to merge and integrate the efforts of the public sector, private sector and the community in organising cycling events in the country.
Cycling has gained momentum in Sarawak both as a high performance sport and as healthy lifestyle activities.
But Dr Ong reiterated that Sarawak aspires to be the nation’s sport powerhouse capable of producing formidable champions in all high competitive sports.
This weekend’s two-day championship offers 29 events in five categories for cycling talents from two years old to the Masters category.
The JCM Sarawak Series also comes with an ancillary training programme in the form of a cycling clinic for Primary and Secondary schools around Kuching.
A total of 10 schools will be participating in the clinic coordinated by the Sarawak Education Department.
“In line with the initiative known as the Sarawak Pedalling Revolution spearheaded by the Sarawak Cycling Association, a fun ride styled Cycling For All (CYFORA) will be concurrently organised on Saturday (July 13), where our local VIPs will be participating to promote the healthy lifestyle agenda on cycling as the effective mode of transportation towards the effort in reducing carbon footprint in Kuching in particular and Sarawak in general.
“The whole idea of this cycling championship event is to complement our very own Sarawak’s internationally recognised Rainforest World Music Festival which runs concurrently on Jul 13 and 14,” said Dr Ong.
The JCM is an initiative under the National Sports Council to promote cycling in Malaysia through the creation of a series of nation-wide criterium races and supporting rides.
Its goal is to create more cycling opportunities for athletes and the public to participate in.