KUCHING, May 30: Sarawak track cyclist Muhammad Luqman Daniel Roji won Sarawak’s first medal at the National Track Championships after finishing second in the National Velodrome in Nilai on Saturday (May 28).
According to a press statement issued by the Sarawak cycling team manager Irawan Sudarsono, Luqman achieved a personal best time of 4 minutes 40 seconds to win the silver medal behind reigning national champion Lim Chun Kiat from Sabah.
He also stated that Sarawak’s cycling team won one silver and one bronze medal during the event, which took place from May 26 to May 29, 2022.
“In the team sprint, the Sarawak team were on course to a historical first bronze medal in team track events. However, the team of Affan, Daniel (Luqman Daniel), and Downhill Mountain Bike (MTB) national champion, Faris, were disqualified due to a technicality.
“However, the team shrugged off the disappointment of the result and focused on performing in the final team event, which is the 4 km team pursuit.
“Despite inferior equipment and resources, the team smashed the previous State record time of 4 minutes 38 seconds to win the bronze medal in 4 minutes 24 seconds, one second behind silver medallists Johor,” he said.
He went on to say that the event was won by Perak, who finished in 4 minutes 20 seconds.
“Under the leadership of head coach Josiah Ng, Aim, Rosnina, and Adib, this cycling team project with a core team of nine riders based in Cyberjaya has demonstrated that in less than two years, they have developed and closed the gap with their competitors.
“Without the strong support from the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC), Sarawak State Sports Council (MSN), and Sarawak Cycling Association (SCA), we could not have foreseen producing a national champion and bronze medallists at Downhill MTB and silver and bronze medallists in the track discipline.
“However, we strongly seek more funding to remain competitive and elevate the team to the next level,” he said.
Irawan further mentioned that the team lacks resources, and other states noticed the threat Sarawak poses.
“Aging equipment and limited resources can’t stop Sarawak from winning medals,” he assured. — DayakDaily
