MALAYSIA JOINS RACE TO HOST UCI TRACK NATIONS CUP NEXT YEAR

NILAI, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has declared its intention in hosting one of the three rounds of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Nations Cup at the National Velodrome, here, next year.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh said they had submitted a letter of intent to the UCI late last year, seeking to host the prestigious international series for the first time in the country.

Amarjit said the decision on whether Malaysia will be selected as one of the hosts for the 2026 UCI Track Nations Cup will be announced this June.

“I am also told that there are many other countries who have also sent in their bid that they want to do the Nation's Cup as well in 2026.

“So that is something that we have to wait and see, the process and how the selection is going to be,” he said when met at the ASEAN Track Series (President Cup) 1, here today.

While the MNCF are hopeful for the 2026 event, Amarjit personally favoured Malaysia to host the UCI Track Nations Cup in 2027 but he feels that would be difficult to do so.

He said this was due to the fact that 2027 will coincide with the start of the qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28).

“I can already imagine that there will be a lot of other countries who will be gunning for that (UCI Track Nations Cup host).

“This is because the idea is to have one country from Asia, one from the Europe side, and one maybe from Oceania or America,” he said.

Apart from that, Amarjit expressed hopes that Malaysia could secure the opportunity to host the UCI Track Cycling World Championships post LA28 Olympics.

However, he said that the UCI has specific requirements for such a prestigious event, including guarantees and support from the government, as well as ensuring full participation from cycling nations.  

-- BERNAMA