South-east Asia’s top cyclists are in town

SINGAPORE — Local fans will be able to catch some of the region’s best cyclists in action at the OCBC Cycle SEA Speedway Championship, held at the Sports Hub this weekend.

A first-of-its-kind event in South-east Asia, the championship will feature hosts Singapore against teams from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines, all battling for honours in a new relay format. The four-man teams will ride a total of 10 laps in pairs around a 1km course at the Sports Hub, with the top three winners to receive cash prizes of S$6,000, S$4,000 and S$2,000.

Two-time SEA Games gold medallist Mohd Harrif Salleh, of Malaysia (men’s criterium and 163km road race), will be the one to watch in today’s competition, with Games’ individual time trial (40km) winner Robin Manullang, of Indonesia, the Philippines’ rising young star Ronald Oranza and 2013 Tour of Borneo champion Endra Wijaya (Indonesia) also in the mix.

Harrif, 26, who ended Malaysia’s 10-year gold medal drought in the road race events at the SEA Games, is keen to test himself against some of the best in the region. “The profile of this race is very different and interesting, and we will see who the fastest sprinters in South-east Asia are,” said Harrif at the pre-race press conference at Hotel Jen Orchardgateway yesterday. “After seeing the race route for this Championship, I think I know how to race it. It will be fast and exciting.”

Team Singapore will be represented by captain Junaidi Hashim, Benedict Lee, Mohamed Elyas Yusoff, Syed Amir Haziq Ahmad, and Low Ji Wen, who was part of the Singapore SEA Games squad in June.

Added Low, 25: “Just by virtue of having another race on the cycling calendar ... I am very happy. It is another chance to pit ourselves against those in the region as there are not too many competitions for us to race together.”

While this year’s championship will feature seven South-east Asian teams, there are plans to include Asian and international teams in the future. “We continue to welcome all the top teams in the region. If there is interest from other teams, we will consider them too ... (just) like the Sri Lankan cycling team, who are here (as a guest team) this year,” said Koh Ching Ching, head of group corporate communications at OCBC Bank. “But I would also like this to be an Asian-centric event for now, and to keep the skill level of the competition even. With a more level playing field, it will be more meaningful for all competitors, rather than kind of stretching it too far.”

In addition to the SEA Championship, the Speedway Club Championship will pit 15 of the best local cycling clubs against one another. Some 7,300 cyclists will also be participating in this weekend’s OCBC Cycle at the Sports Hub. ADELENE WONG