Ayam Gepuk MTB cycling team aims to participate in 2024 Paris Olympics

After failing in his bid to participate in the Olympic Games in the past, former national cyclist Nor Effandy Rosli is determined to help riders from the Ayam Gepuk MTB Cycling Team to participate in the mountain bike event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 52-year-old said although it was considered an arduous task, he was confident that his extensive experience in cycling could help the two riders of the team, namely his daughter, Nur Deena Safia and Tengku Alif Haryz Tengku Hazril to achieve the mission.

"The target of heading to the Olympics is a high one, and we have about four years left. If there are enough funds and continuous exposure to international tournaments, I am confident we can achieve that target.

"Countries like China and Japan always send their athletes to compete in several international tournaments including the World Cup, but unfortunately, we have never sent our riders to such tournaments," he said during a press conference to announce the team’s sponsorship by Restoran Ayam Gepuk Pak Gembus at one of its branches here yesterday.

Commenting further, Nor Effandy, who is the manager of the Federal Territories Malaysia Games (Sukma) cycling team, said the short-term target was to help his team win two gold medals at the 2020 Johor Sukma, which has been postponed to March 2021.

Nor Effandy is no stranger to road cycling events, and among his outstanding achievements were winning the silver medal in the individual mass start event at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

Meanwhile, Mohd Firdaus Wahid, the owner of the Restoran Ayam Gepuk Pak Gembus restaurant franchise in Malaysia said a cash sponsorship of RM2,000 per month would be provided to each rider to cover the expenses for participating in tournaments as well as for mountain biking equipment.

Riders Nur Deena Safia and Tengku Alif Haryz also expressed their appreciation over the sponsorship, saying that their focus was to do well at the Johor Sukma next year.

The best achievement to date by Nur Deena Safia, a 21-year-old UiTM Shah Alam student, has been a bronze medal in the U-23 category of the Asian Continental Championship in Danao City, Philippines in 2018.

Tengku Alif Haryz, a student of SMK Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, won a silver medal at the Asian MTB Series in Sabah last year.

-- BERNAMA