Cyclists can’t just rely on seniors as juniors must step up, says Josiah

Ride on!: The men’s team pursuit quartet of (from left) Abdul Azim Aliyas, Lau New Joe, Yusri Shaari and Mohd Hafiq Jafri taking a wefie after winning gold at the Thailand SEA Games. Below: Josiah Ng

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Josiah Ng believes the future of Malaysian track cycling lies with the juniors and that the sport must no longer rely solely on its senior riders.

While veterans such as Azizulhasni Awang and Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom can still play important roles, Josiah stressed that expectations of international success should not rest entirely on their shoulders.

“Azizul is getting older and is likely to retire but time will tell. Shah still has a chance to shine but we cannot expect too much from the seniors at this stage,” said Josiah.

“The success of the young cyclists in the recent Thailand SEA Games indicates that they are ready to be competitive on the international stage and we should build on the momentum,” said the Olympian keirin finalist.

At the Thailand SEA Games last month, Malaysia raked in four gold and one silver out of five track cycling events.

Mohd Ridwan Sahrom, Mohd Fadhil Zonis and Mohd Akmal Nazimi Jusena won the men’s team sprint while Abdul Azim Aliyas, Mohd Hafiq Jafri, Yusri Shaari and Lau New Joe romped to the men’s team pursuit title.

Ridwan also won the men’s keirin event while Nur Aisyah Zubir came out tops in the women’s points race as Malaysia surpassed their pre-Games target of two gold medals.

Josiah is confident that with strong support from the administrators and guidance from expert coaches, the national camp will be able to maintain the momentum heading into the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and also the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers.

“The SEA Games is the first tournament they should aim to win. They are lucky to have the support, finances and expertise of the coaches. We are on the best track,” he added.

The Malaysian cycling team will open their campaign for the year with the first leg of the President’s Cup at the National Velodrome in Nilai today.

The second leg of the President’s Cup will be held at the same venue from Jan 10-11.