MNCF revamp finally on the way

By Arnaz M. Khairularnaz@nstp.com.my

THE wheels for the total revamp of the national road cycling programme have finally been set into motion.
A special task force will be set up to address the serious decline suffered by the road squad.

This revamp will see the new programme totally focused on five big targets this year -- Le Tour de Langkawi, Jelajah Malaysia, Asian Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

The Malaysian National Cycling Federation's (MNCF) executive committee which met yesterday, recalled former head coach Aminuddin Sulaiman, who will replace Jamaluddin Omar.

Aminuddin, who quit the national team in 2008 after voicing his displeasure with the oor funding and management of the team, will be in charge of the national team in the interim until a foreign coach is found.

The task force, comprising all eight members of the MNCF's executive committee, will present their ideas and proposals to the joint working committee for cycling, which includes the National Sports Council (NSC).

MNCF deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad said Aminuddin will eventually be assisting a foreign coach, who the federation hopes to hire within the next two months.

The foreign coach will be in charge of the road programme under the eye of Australian John Beasley who heads the coaching department of the entire cycling programme.

"We have drawn up a clear path for us to focus on and this decline should stop now," said Naim.

The task force have an initial allocation of RM500,000 from the Sports Ministry to begin their efforts to transform the fortunes of the national road team.

"We will have to work with a fresh selection process and find the best riders to work on to achieve targets we will set for the five major competitions this year," said Naim.

"We will immediately call for all state affiliates to submit their best riders to be evaluated and absorbed into this new programme, for which we will have eight places for rider who will focus solely on these five targets.

"We will put them through screening and all the necessary sports science tests before being absorbed into the programme.

"Then, we will decide what our specific targets will be for each of the five major competitions and the coaches will have full support to work towards achieving them."

On another note, Naim who also chairs the MNCF disciplinary committe said three riders including Loh Sea Keong will be investigated for various disciplinary offences.

"Sea Keong will be called up to explain for his outcry after being dropped from the Sea Games road race team in Laos," said Naim.

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