Riders resort to drastic measures

NST
30 May 2011
By Arnaz M. Khairul

IN an example of true dedication to their sport, the Pahang Malaysia Games track cycling team are writing a stirring but sad chapter at the Kuala Lumpur Velodrome.

Just let the security guards know that you have come to visit the teenagers who are making the Kuala Lumpur Velodrome's carpark their temporary campsite and the gates will be promptly opened, allowing you to enter and visit the team preparing for the Malaysia Games that begin on Saturday.


The seven riders will have to endure a week of really tough conditions but they don't seem to mind.

Apparently, no budget was allocated for the Pahang team to prepare for the Malaysia Games. Because of financial constraints, they decided to camp out and bear their own food costs.

The cyclists, who pitched their tents since Saturday, are camping out at the carpark until the Games athletes' village in Bangi is open on Thursday.


Surprisingly, they are not complaining about their situation. But the riders hope that some eyes "will be opened" as they focus on winning two gold medals at the Games.

Team manager Mohd Asri Abdul Mubin, who with coach Aminudin Sulaiman, are camping out with the team, said: "We are not blaming anybody for this, nor are we angry at anybody. I'm here with the coach simply because under these circumstances, we just had to listen to the riders.

"The team received four new track bicycles worth RM5,000 each for them to compete in the Malaysia Games, but there wasn't a budget allocated for them to come and train at the velodrome."


One of the cyclists, Ahmad Azhar Arshad, said the team had decided to take matters into their own hands when they were not sent to two meets that would have served as a proper buildup for the Games.

"We asked why we were not sent for the third round of the SportExcel National Junior Circuit and the Kuala Lumpur Open last week. The answer from the Pahang Sports Council was that there wasn't a budget allocated.

"With the Malaysia Games coming up and no preparation whatsoever, we were all not ready to just sit down and accept the situation. We know our team are capable of meeting the targeted two gold medals, but we need to prepare. So, we told the team manager and coach that since nothing was being done, we were going to take the bicycles and travel to Kuala Lumpur by bus, so that we could train at the velodrome."

The other six cyclists, Mohd Saifullah Jamal Alias, Mohd Faris Affendy, Mohd Faris Jamlus, Mohd Safrizal Syamsul Kamal, Mohd Fahmi Farhan Fuad and Mohd Yazrul Hisham say they have no problem with the arrangement and claim they bear no grudge against the state sports council.

Their two other teammates -- Mohd Aim Mohd Fauzi and Ahmad Fakhrullah Alias -- are lucky to be under the National Sports Council Pelapis programme and as such, are housed at the council's hostel in Bukit Jalil.

"We need to train if we're going to win the gold medals and we can't bring the velodrome to Kuantan... so we have to be here by any means. That is all we want.

"Of course it is sad that we can't even afford cheap accommodation, but if this has to be the only way, then so be it," said Ahmad Azhar.

Read more: Riders resort to drastic measures http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/43CAMPING/Article#ixzz1NndRBkKg