KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) Technical Director John Beasley remains in his position until his contract expires at the end of January 2027, said MNCF President Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill.
He said reports claiming the Australian coach had resigned were inaccurate, as Beasley had only expressed his intention to step down after completing his current contract.
“It is not true that John Beasley has resigned as technical director. He is still the MNCF technical director; he has not resigned and remains the technical director until a designated period.
“So I just want to clarify this because it will cause a lot of confusion among the general public and on social media, creating the impression that he has resigned immediately. So, this is not correct,” he said during a special MNCF press conference at Intermark here today.
Amarjit said that following a discussion with Beasley two days ago, both parties agreed that the main focus right now is to ensure that the national athletes' preparations for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are not disrupted.
He said Beasley also gave his assurance that he would continue to support the national programme throughout the transition period, in addition to helping ensure the continuity and stability of the planned programmes.
“What is important is that we agree the main focus is that we do not want to disrupt our athletes. We know most of the cyclists have a very close relationship with John, and all the noise happening around this might affect our riders, and we cannot afford to let such noise disrupt their preparations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amarjit said MNCF fully respects Beasley's views and his right to make decisions regarding his future and also described Beasley as an individual who played a major role in the development of the nation's cycling sport throughout his 21 years of service in Malaysia.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of the 65-year-old coach remaining with the national squad in a different capacity after that, especially if national track cycling legend Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang continues his campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28).
At the same time, Amarjit confirmed that MNCF has issued a show-cause letter to one individual identified as being involved in attempts to create friction between the federation and Beasley, while similar action against another individual is currently being considered.
“We knew about this matter from the beginning. It happened, but then this thing gained attention in April.
“We have sent one show-cause letter so far. We are considering for another individual. We have received a reply from the first individual and are currently determining the next course of action,” he said.
He added that MNCF will not tolerate any party attempting to cause conflict or spread allegations through unofficial channels; instead, any complaints must be channeled according to established procedures.
-- BERNAMA
