Shabery hargai usaha Terengganu bina velodrom

Ahmad Shabery Cheek menggelecek bola pada perasmian Gelanggang Rakyat Rinching Hulu di Semenyih, semalam.

HULU LANGAT - Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek menyambut baik hasrat Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu merealisasikan pembinaan velodrom di Dungun sebagai menghargai jasa pelumba basikal negara, Azizulhasni Awang.

Beliau berkata, pihaknya menyerahkan kepada kerajaan negeri untuk memilih kawasan yang sesuai dan pembinaaan velodrom itu kelak akan turut dilengkapkan dengan kemudahan sukan lain seperti gelanggang pelbagai guna.

''Saya gembira mereka dapat kenal pasti tempat yang lain dan kalau boleh di Dungun. Bagaimanapun, saya tidak dimaklumkan lagi dan saya serahkan kepada pihak berkuasa di sana,'' katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Gelanggang Rakyat dan Karnival Belia dan Sukan Parlimen Hulu Langat di sini, semalam.

Kelmarin, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Belia dan Sukan negeri Terengganu, Datuk Abdul Rahin Mohd. Said berkata, pembinaan velodrom itu kekal di Dungun kerana kerajaan kini mempunyai tapak alternatif iaitu tanah seluas lapan hektar di Kampung Che Lijah.

Sebelum ini, cadangan kerajaan untuk membina velodrom di kawasan lapang di Sura, Dungun mendapat bantahan penduduk setempat kerana menganggap ia akan mengambil tanah dan mengganggu tempat anak muda beriadah.

Cadangan membina velodrom di Dungun itu diumum Shabery tahun lepas sebagai menghargai jasa Azizulhasni yang mengharumkan nama negara di peringkat dunia dalam sukan lumba basikal.

Menurut Shabery, pihaknya memilih untuk membina velodrom di Dungun adalah sebagai menghargai penduduk di daerah itu yang melahirkan jaguh basikal negara sehebat Azizulhasni.

''Kalau boleh kita hendak melahirkan lebih ramai jaguh yang hebat seperti Azizul dan di Dungun sahaja sudah terdapat beberapa kumpulan basikal yang semakin meningkat naik.

''Malah ada di kalangan anak-anak Terengganu ini telah berjaya melonjakkan kemampuan mereka sehingga ke peringkat kebangsaan seperti Fateha Mustafa dan Anuar Manan,'' ujarnya.

Sementara itu, mengulas mengenai gelanggang rakyat, beliau memberitahu, kerajaan telah pun berjaya membina lebih 900 gelanggang pelbagai guna daripada 1,200 jumlah keseluruhannya.

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Azizulhasni yakin ulangi pencapaian emas keirin Piala Dunia

AzizulHasni (kiri) dan pelumba negara yang akan menyertai Kejohanan Piala Dunia Klasik, Idrus Yusnus, Josiah Ng, Hafiz Sufian dan Akmal Amrun, melaungkan kata-kata semangat sebelum berlepas ke Beijing dari KLIA, Sepang, semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR - Jaguh berbasikal trek negara, Azizulhasni Awang bertekad untuk memenangi acara keirin pada Piala Dunia Klasik di Beijing, China yang merupakan siri keempat dan terakhir, yang bermula Jumaat ini.

Jika berjaya, ia sekali gus dapat mengulangi pencapaiannya tahun lepas pada musim 2008-2009, apabila menewaskan Gregory Bauge dari Perancis pada pusingan akhir untuk meraih pingat emas.

Pelumba berusia 22 tahun itu berkata, ia merupakan peluang terakhirnya untuk memenangi kejohanan itu, setelah gagal berbuat demikian pada dua siri Piala Dunia Klasik yang disertainya sebelum ini, iaitu di Manchester, England dan Melbourne, Australia.

"Kemenangan di Beijing juga penting kerana saya berpeluang untuk meraih jersi putih, selaku pendahulu pungutan mata keseluruhan apabila beraksi pada Kejohanan Trek Dunia pada Mac ini di Denmark," katanya di sini, semalam.

Pelumba pasukan Bike Technologies Australia (BTA) itu, kini mengumpul 10 mata untuk berada di kedudukan keenam, manakala pelumba dari Jerman, Maximilian Levy mendahului di tempat pertama dengan 15 mata di dalam acara keirin.

"Saya sedar saingan pada siri terakhir Piala Dunia ini akan sengit kerana ramai pelumba-pelumba terbaik dunia akan turun beraksi untuk mencari tempat ke Kejohanan Dunia, namun saya cuba memberikan aksi terbaik," katanya.

Mengenai prestasinya pada siri Piala Dunia bagi musim 2009-2010, pelumba kelahiran Terengganu ini menyifatkan beliau masih konsisten terutamanya menjelang Sukan Asia dan Komanwel penghujung tahun ini.

"Walaupun terpaksa membahagikan masa dengan pengajian, serta kadang-kala saya terpaksa meninggalkan latihan untuk mengikuti kelas, ia tidak menjejaskan prestasi saya," katanya.

Bagi musim 2009-2010 Piala Dunia Klasik, pencapaian paling cemerlang Mohd Azizulhasni adalah memenangi pingat perak dalam acara keirin ketika siri kedua di Melbourne, Australia, pada November tahun lepas.

Berbanding musim sebelumnya (2008- 2009), Mohd Azizulhasni memenangi dua siri Piala Dunia di dalam acara keirin iaitu Melbourne (siri kedua) dan Beijing (keempat), yang menyaksikannya menyarung jersi putih selaku pendahulu pungutan mata keseluruhan apabila beraksi pada Kejohanan Trek Dunia di Pruskow, Poland tahun lepas.

Kecemerlangan pelumba itu, yang merupakan antara prospek emas Sukan Olimpik 2012, berterusan apabila meraih perak di dalam acara pecut pada Kejohanan Trek Dunia itu. - Bernama

Adiq eager to make an impact in Youth Olympic Festival

By LIM TEIK HUAT

KUALA LUMPUR: Azizul Hasni Awang has raised the profile of Malaysian track cycling with his exploits in recent times and another Terengganu-born rider is hoping to follow suit.

Muhd Adiq Husainie will be looking to made an impact for Malaysia in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, which begins in Sydney tomorrow.

The 18-year-old, who is also the flag bearer of the 97-strong Malaysian contingent, will compete in three track events — 3km individual pursuit, 10km scratch and 25km point race.

Over to you, captain: Chef-de-mission Jefri Ngadirin (right) handing over the national flag to the cycling team captain Muhd Adiq Husainie Othman (left) Monday. — CHUA KOK HWA / The Star

Adiq, who hails from Kemaman, started out in mountain biking but decided to switch to the track disciplines this year as he felt that he had a better chance of making a better impact.

He also tried out in road races and won a bronze in the individual time trial at the Asian junior championships in Nara, Japan, last year.

The performances of his seniors, among them Azizul and female cyclist Fatehah Mustapa at the international level, also inspired him to give track racing a serious thought.

“They are from Terengganu and because of them there is a strong interest in track cycling as more youngsters are keen to get involved.

“I feel track is more suitable for my physique. I hope to break into the senior squad and make a name for myself in the future,” said Adiq, who hopes to return from Sydney with a medal in his debut in the biennial Festival.

“It is a good start to be the flag bearer for Malaysia and I want to also give strong performances in competitions on the track.”

Adiq was not selected for the previous Festival because he did not meet the minimum age requirement for track cycling.

Besides cycling, Malaysia athletes will also feature in seven other sports in a 17-sport programme. They are archery, diving, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, men’s hockey and shooting. The contingent left for Sydney yesterday.

Malaysia had a medal haul of 1-6-5 at the last Festival with badminton delivering the sole gold medal. Badminton is not in the programme this time and the medal hopes will be on the archers, cyclists and shooters.

Besides the hosts, the Festival sees the participation of 26 foreign contingents, including China and Britain.

Malaysian sprinter Anuar Manan (left) has joined Korean Continental team Geumsan Ginseng for next season

Malaysian sensation and respected manufacturer bolster Korean team

Malaysia's sprinting ace Anuar Manan will join new Korean Continental team Geumsan Ginseng, led by Japanese veteran Shinichi Fukushima. It's an exciting development for one of the country's best cycling exports, who has enjoyed limited opportunities to shine in recent years.

Speaking to Cyclingnews in Vientiane, Laos, during the Sea Games, Manan explained: "I spent the 2009 season with Iranian team Azad University. It was a good team but I didn't have enough opportunities to race since it's very difficult for Iranians to get visas for travelling. Sometimes I was the only team member allowed to enter the country where we were supposed to race.

"With Geumsan Ginseng and the presence of Fukushima as a team captain, I'm confident that I'll be able to have a more solid program in 2010," continued Manan, who has spent six weeks in Melbourne training for the Sea Games under Malaysia's Australian track coach John Beasley.

"I also learned from the 2009 season that I can only perform at stage races with a trade team," he added. "I didn't do well at Le Tour de Langkawi with the national team but I won two stages at the Jelajah Malaysia with Azad. That's why I truly hope that I'll be able to ride Le Tour de Langkawi with Geumsan Ginseng."

For many years the Malaysian national team garnered increasing press coverage due more to controversy than results. Only the Melbourne-based track program has proven to be successful in a recent times. "Trade teams from other Asian countries are the key for us, Malaysians, to perform," said the 23-year-old who came close to winning a stage [he finished second] at the 2008 Le Tour de Langkawi with LeTua and was therefore scouted by some European and American teams.

In addition to Manan's signature, Geumsan Ginseng also welcomed the sponsorship of Specialized last week. "We've been chosen by Specialized for being the only Asian professional team to be supplied the latest SL3," announced the team's business manager Danny Feng.

Geumsan Ginseng's 2010 roster: Shinichi Fukushima, Motoi Nara and Takeshi Garashi (Japan), Low Ji Wen (Singapore), Phuchong Saiudomsil (Thailand), Anuar Manan (Malaysia), Hwang In Hyeok, Kim Yeong Uk, Kwon Junoh, Choe Hyeong, Kim Jong Kwang, You Ki Hong, Km Ding Young, Lee Sang Gyu (Korea).

Tahniah Anuar Manan.....moga maju jaya.