Green light for new indoor velodrome

Green light for new indoor velodrome

2009/08/22

Arnaz M. Khairul

IT is going to finally happen. Malaysia will get its first up-to-date indoor velodrome next year under the 10th Malaysia Plan

The Sports Ministry is making the velodrome project a top priority in its proposal to the cabinet.

The velodrome, said Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, will be world class, with a 250m timber track. He is confident it will be ready before the 2012 Olympics in London.


Once completed, the facility will enable Malaysia to host major meets like the UCI World Cup Classics and World Championships.

Since 2005, the regulations stipulate that major meets, including Olympic track events, can only be held on 250m timber indoor tracks.

Malaysia currently has two velodromes -- the Kuala Lumpur Velodrome in Cheras, which holds a 333.333m outdoor cement track, and the Velodrome Rakyat in Ipoh, which has the world's only 250m outdoor timber track.

Ahmad Shabery said the National Sports Council's plans to build a smaller velodrome in Dungun will still go ahead while the new velodrome will be a flagship that symbolises the growth and success of Malaysian cycling.

"We've targeted cycling as one of the high potential sports to deliver our first gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and their recent success proves that we are on track to achieving that target," said Ahmad Shabery after presenting incentives to cyclists Azizul Hasni Awang, Rizal Tisin, Edrus Yunos, Hafiz Sufian and Fatehah Mustapa for winning two gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the recent Asian Championships in Indonesia.

The new velodrome, said Ahmad Shabery, could also be named after a cyclist who delivers the country's first Olympic gold medal.

"The sport is deserving of this, as our cyclists have continued to perform and deliver success at the highest level," he said.

"The 10th Malaysia Plan comes into effect next year and work will likely commence then. So, I believe we can target the facility to be ready before August, 2012. We will also be identifying a suitable plot of land on which the velodrome will be built."

The new facility will also include a gallery holding memorabilia from Malaysian cycling, for which Ahmad Shabery has called on the cyclists to contribute equipment used in significant victories.