Cycling: Virus causing races to go off track

THE much awaited triple treat in the national cycling week next month has been severely hampered by fears over the spread of the Infuenza A (H1N1) virus.

Of the three, only the Perlis Open on July 28-30 will remain as a race with a majority of international entries.

The Tour of Negri Sembilan, while still on the UCI Asia Tour calendar as a 2.2 grade event, will feature local teams, with a limited number of international entries.

The Malacca Chief Minister's Cup on July 20-21 has been taken off the UCI Asia Tour calendar and will take place as a national race.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad said concerns over the spread of the virus had taken its toll on the events.
"The Perlis Open has already confirmed a number of foreign teams, and arrangements have already been made. So, there was no turning back for that race, thus it will go ahead with international entries," said Naim.

"Even so, we trust the control measures taken at our airports and health departments to curb the spread of the virus.

"Teams will come knowing that they have to adhere to strict checks at the airport and they will be subject to quarantine immediately if they show symptoms of the virus, at any time."

The H1N1 virus has already seen Malaysia's withdrawal from the Asian Youth Games in Singapore, which officially began yesterday.

A number of withdrawals from overseas competitions are expected to follow suit.

With measures to curb the spread of the virus increasing by the day, MNCF will also soon consider the country's representation in the Asian Championships in Samarinda, Indonesia on Aug 12-17.

NST

Comments

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...

Malaysian Sports - Today's back pages!

Search This Blog