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Cycling’s new boss promises exciting 2016 The SCF management team

SINGAPORE — Three months after assuming office at the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF), newly-elected president Jeffrey Goh and his 10-man team are ready to get the sport back into gear.

SINGAPORE — Three months after assuming office at the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF), newly-elected president Jeffrey Goh and his 10-man team are ready to get the sport back into gear.

This after a tumultuous 2015 that saw the national body hit by reports that about S$25,000 in assets from the 2010 Youth Olympic Games had been allegedly disposed of, and unaccounted for. While the case is now closed, the issue, along with its poor financial processes, saw the SCF unable to hold its annual general meeting for 2013 and 2014.

With a new team at the helm, Goh wants a fresh start for Singapore cycling. “From the national perspective, we want to bring back races for road, BMX and mountain bike,” said the CEO of Nets Singapore, who noted the SCF’s lack of cycling events in previous years.

“Besides high performance, we also want to concentrate on community, families and children. I’m so excited because with this new team there is a new energy to get events going.”

Fixing the events calendar is top on the priority list of the SCF, which received about S$350,000 in funding for FY2015/2016.

It has planned more than six events for the year, starting with the OCBC Road Challenge for elite and serious cyclists on March 13.

Next would be the return of the OCBC National Road Championships in May after a two-year hiatus, and the OCBC Singapore National Mountain Bike Championship two months later.

Two charity rides will be organised this month, with national cyclists joining members of the SCF management and participants to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity Singapore and the Yellow Ribbon Fund.

Goh also welcomed the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) “Car-Free Sunday” initiative from Feb 28 for a six-month period that will see parts of the civic and central business districts closed for cycling, jogging and walking on the last Sunday of each month. The SCF hopes to work with URA on extending the road closures by a few hours once a quarter to allow cyclists to race.

Members of the BMX community — who lost Singapore’s only BMX track when the Tampines Bike Park was closed in 2014 — will be delighted that the SCF are looking at securing an interim facility in Bukit Panjang, and plan to run BMX programmes when it is up and running.

“For road cycling, closing half of Singapore (roads) is so expensive, and mountain bike is dependent on terrain that we don’t have; BMX is closest to what we can do here,” said SCF honorary secretary Hing Siong Chen.

Nonetheless, a road development programme helmed by head coach Adrian Ng will work on identifying young talents, with candidates undergoing tests that will include the VO2 max test to measure aerobic fitness, physiological tests and a stint at Outward Bound Singapore.

The goal, said Goh, is for Singapore’s cyclists to feature among Asia’s best in the future.

“We hope in five to 10 years, Singapore can be a powerhouse in Asia in the league of Thailand and Malaysia,” he said.

Jeffrey Goh, president

Hing Siong Chen, honorary secretary

Mark Ortega, assistant honorary secretary

James Kang, honorary treasurer

Quek Wey Lon, assistant honorary treasurer

Bastian Dohling, vice-president (Road)

Lee Yee Meng, vice-president (MTB)

Muhd Hairul Nazwa Dol, vice-president (BMX)

Steven Lim, vice-president (Safety/Education)

Kevin Lee, vice-president (Leisure)

Walton Seah, vice-president (BikeTrial)

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