Kun Pan’s historic gold bodes well for women’s road cycling squad in next SEA Games

Stunner up north: Phi Kun Pan (in white) rejoicing with members of the Malaysian team after winning gold in the under-23 women’s road race at the asian Road Cycling Championships in Rayong, Thailand.

PETALING JAYA: Phi Kun Pan put up a stunning performance to become the first Malaysian female champion in the Asian Road Cycling Championship, taking the gold in the Under-23 women’s road race event in Rayong, Thailand.

The 20-year-old cyclist, who is from the Thai community in Baling, Kedah, clocked a time of 2’51:41 with an average speed of 38.79km per hour to clinch the gold on Monday.

Uzbekistan’s Yanina Kuskova got the silver ahead of Indonesia’s Dewika Mulya Sova.

Two other national representatives, Yeong Zhen Yi and Nur Fitrah Shaari, finished 10th and 18th respectively.

It was double cheers with Mohd Adam Ramdzan taking silver in the men’s junior road race event in 2’46:25 behind Thailand’s Tinnapat Muangdet (2’45:47).

The last time Malaysia finished on the podium in the Asian meet was in 2012 when Adiq Husainie Othman clinched silver in the men’s elite road race event.

Kun Pan won gold for Kedah in the women’s Olympic cross country mountain bike event in the Sukma (Malaysia Games) last year. She also represented the country at the Cambodia SEA Games in mountain bike but did not finish on the podium.

The exploits of the road team will be a good morale boost to the fellow Malaysian cyclists competing in the Asian Track Cycling Championships starting at the National Velodrome in Nilai today.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation vice-president Norazman Abu Samah described Kun Pan’s historic win as a great triumph, especially when the rider and Nur Fitrah almost missed the ticket to compete in Rayong.

“They came to Rayong to race with their own money. Their participation was only confirmed at the last minute,” he said

“I appealed to Asian Cycling Federation president Gen Dr Decha Hemkasri to get them accepted to race in the championship.

“Thankfully, they were not only able to race but Kun Pan managed to get the gold medal.’’

Norazman said Kun Pan’s success proved that the women’s road cycling squad are on the right track to shine at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand and the 2024 edition of the championship.