Asian Games gold medalist Azizulhasni Awang has said that his attempts to get construction works to be done on the Raykat Velodrome in Ipoh fell on death ears as no concrete works on maintaining the state of the velodrome has been done, despite many imploring maintenance for the atrocious state the velodrome is in.
“I fought for the velodrome to be repaired and taken care of. It was just crying out for a roof,” said Awang, who also won bronze in the men’s keirin category at this year’s UCI Track Cycling World Championship, as quoted by The Malay Mail.
“I wrote to the state government, Perak Tourism and Sports Council after the 2012 London Olympics to build at least a half-roof like at the Hyeres Velodrome in France or Koln Velodrome in Germany but nothing has been done.
“The state government changed the timber track a few times but it’s no use if it’s not protected from the weather.”.
Retired and former ASEAN Games gold medalist Shaharudin Jaffar, is disheartened by the lack of proper facilities for local cyclist to train.
“I was optimistic Malaysia could go far in cycling so I came out with the velodrome idea to develop the sport 40 years ago,” said the 75-year-old.
“But I’m saddened after all these years, we only have two. We need more, one in each zone – northern, southern, eastern and West Malaysia.” He concluded.
National track cyclists have increasingly limited venues to train, as the disastrous state of the Rakyat Velodrome means that it is highly unsafe and unfeasible for them to train.
And although it will cater the 2017 SEA Games, the new state-of-art indoor velodrome in Nilai is still in the midst of completion and therefore, cannot be considered as a place to train as well, at least for now.
To make matters worse, National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail has said that the national track cycling team may have to train at the Ipoh velodrome as the land of the training venue at the Cheras Velodrome in KL has been sold by DBKL to a private property developer, meaning that the national track cycling team may have to train overseas unless drastic actions are made.
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