PKBM Eyes Track Cycling World Championships Bid

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (PKBM) is poised to bid for the Track Cycling World Championships in the coming years, following the successful hosting of the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup, which concluded yesterday.

Its president, Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill, said the achievement reflects Malaysia’s capability to organise competitions of the highest international standard, comparable to the Olympic Games.

He noted that the federation’s next objective is to bring the World Championships to Malaysia, subject to endorsement from PKBM’s Executive Committee and clearance from the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia before proceeding with a formal bid.

“This marks the first time Malaysia has hosted a high-intensity, world-class competition of this scale. It is not the end, but the beginning, and reflects our readiness to stage events at the highest level.

“If we are capable of hosting the World Cup, we are equally capable of hosting the World Championships. My next focus is to bring the Track Cycling World Championships to Malaysia, as it is a premier global event,” he said when met at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, yesterday.

Amarjit, who also is also Union Cycliste Internationale vice president, said hosting rights for the World Championships have been allocated up to 2028, making 2029 or 2030 realistic targets for Malaysia.

On the cost of hosting, he said track cycling events are significantly less expensive than road events, which can cost approximately seven million Swiss francs (about RM36 million).

“In contrast, track events require a considerably lower outlay, starting from around 100,000 euros (approximately RM510,000),” added the Asian Cycling Confederation president.

The three-day Track Cycling World Cup in Nilai concluded yesterday, with national cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang securing bronze in the men’s individual sprint after winning gold in the keirin the previous day.

Meanwhile, Harrie Lavreysen, gold medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and 2025 world champion, clinched gold in the individual sprint by defeating Nicholas Paul, redeeming his earlier silver in the keirin.

The Nilai meet featured more than 40 countries and the world’s top cyclists, and served as the final leg of a three-round series, following Perth, Australia in March and Hong Kong earlier this month.

The event marked the return of the Track Cycling World Cup to Malaysia after a 25-year absence.

-- BERNAMA