Ng our best bet for gold

09/09/2002

JOSIAH Ng failed to deliver at the recent Manchester Commonwealth Games
but the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) is banking heavily on
him for a good outing in the Busan Asian Games.
In fact, MNCF has set its sights on a gold medal, which they expect Ng
to deliver in his pet event - the keirin.
MNCF president Abdul Samah Abdul Wahab is cofident that Ng is capable of
delivering gold as he is the top cyclist in the world in the keirinsa
category right now.
Abdul Samah believes that based on his current position, there should be
no problem for him to win the gold medal in the Asian Games and that "his
performance at the Commonwealth Games cannot be used as a yardstick as
keirin, which is his favourite, was not contested there."
MNCF's target, if met, will be a huge achievement because the last time
Malaysia won a cycling gold medal at the Asian Games was in 1970 in
Bangkok when Daud Ibrahim won the 1,600 metres.
Ng was the fifth fastest sprinter in the Commonwealth Games after he
lost his quarter-final clash to Olympic bronze medallist, Sean Eadie.
However, he bounced back to finish fifth in the battle for fifth-eighth
placings.
MNCF's confidence in Ng, 22, is based on his bronze and silver efforts
at the World Cup in Mexico and Australia respectively which saw him
qualify for the World Championships in Copenhagen.
The others selected for the Asian Games are Ghaffuan Ghazali and Fairoz
Izni.
Suhardi Hassan, for the road race, and veteran Rosman Alwi are still on
the appeal list and the Olympic Council of Malaysia is expected to make a
decision tomorrow.
Suhardi was one of the best local cyclists during this year's Le Tour de
Langkawi and also the recently concluded Gamuda Eagle Tour.
Malaysia has always had notable cyclists for every era - Ng Joo Ngan,
Ali Hassan and Daud Ibrahim (1970s), Ishak Amin and Rosman Alwi (1980s),
M. Kumaresan and Nor Effandy Rosli (1990s).
The new millennium has seen Ng dominate by making a breakthrough in the
world rankings. Although Malaysia cannot claim to have produced Ng -
because he was born in Manila and spent his growth years as a cyclist in
the United States - he will be carrying the nations hopes in Busan. CYCLING
COMPETITION DATES: Sept 30 - Oct 13
MEDALS AT STAKE: 20 Gold, 20 Silver and 20 bronze
BANGKOK '98 PERFORMANCE: No medals
NSC'S TARGET:Nil
SPORT'S TARGET: 1 Gold
THE SQUAD: Josiah Ng (Track-sprint, Keirin, Olympic Sprint), Fairoz Izni
(Keirin, Olympic Sprint) Mohamad Ghaffuan (Olympic Sprint, Sprint0
COACH:Mark Scott Whitehead.
(END)