PETALING JAYA: Former national cycling legend M. Kumaresan is back in the saddle and this time with a mission to help produce the country’s next generation of world-class riders by strengthening the grassroots development system.
The National Sports Council (NSC) have appointed the 59-year-old as chairman of the Panel of Experts for the Olympic Sports Development Programme in cycling.
In his new role, Kumaresan will lead efforts to strengthen the state-level talent development ecosystem through a comprehensive, performance-based approach backed by multidisciplinary expertise.
Kumaresan made history as Malaysia’s first cyclist to qualify for an Olympic final when he achieved the feat at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Besides Kumaresan, the panel comprises individuals with extensive experience in the sport, including Olympian Amir Mustafa Rusli, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics and currently serves as the national endurance coach, as well as sprint coach, Harnizam Basri.
Three-time stage winner on the Le Tour de Langkawi, Mohd Harrif Saleh is also on the panel, alongside Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) vice president Firdaus Arshad, Mohd Izham Mohd from the National Sports Institute, and Abdul Hadi Abdul Rahman from the Education Ministry.
NSC director general Jefri Ngadirin said the combined expertise of the panel of experts would strengthen the existing development ecosystem.
"The NSC are confident that the appointment of the panel will serve as a catalyst for more sustainable and progressive cycling talent development at the state level," said Jefri.
"It will also supporting the nation’s aspiration to produce more world-class athletes capable of bringing glory to Malaysia on the Asian, Commonwealth, World, and Olympic stages."
The panel’s primary duties include overseeing athlete development from talent identification to high-performance level.
It will also guide development strategies, assist in selecting athletes, coaches, and training centres, while providing expertise in sports science and performance development.
The NSC said this year’s Olympic programme will focus on four key initiatives, with the first enhancing talent identification programmes, followed by implementing talent camps and discipline-specific training camps to strengthen athletes’ technical and physical abilities.
The third initiative is overseas training and competition exposure, while the fourth aims to enhance the expertise and capabilities of state-level coaches.
