PETALING JAYA: There may be hope yet for the Velodrome Rakyat to be restored to working condition soon, thanks to Malaysian National Cycling Federation president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill's meeting with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah at the Perak Palace on Friday (April 3).
Amarjit highlighted the condition of the Velodrome Rakyat to Sultan Nazrin, and also cycling's latest developments, including the encouraging progress of cyclists on the Asian and international stages.
Amarjit also announced a proposal to upgrade the venue with the construction of the basic roof structure and the installation of a new track.
"These improvements are important to upgrade the facilities to an international level, thus enabling Perak to host more major tournaments," said Amarjit, who is also president of the Asian Cycling Confederation.
"The velodrome does not have a roof and has not been used for more than a year. If we are going to repair the place, it must be done right.
We hope to push the proposal for approval either through the state or federal government.''
The velodrome is 40-years old now and was built using public donations at a cost of RM3.25mil in the mid-80s.
But it does not have a roof, thus exposing the wooden track to the elements and accelerating its deterioration.
Amarjit added he was honoured to present the development and direction of cycling to Sultan Nazrin.
"The success of our cyclists and the continuous development in this sport reflects the efforts of all parties involved.
"I also shared with his Majesty the establishment of the World Cycling Centre in Johor Baru, which is seen as capable of producing more potential cyclists."
