Joo Ngan to ‘wait and see’ before finalising road racing team

KUALA LUMPUR: The national cycling team for the men’s road racing event at the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam have not been finalised as the organisers have yet to confirm the routes to be used for the biennial Games.

National road cycling head coach Datuk Ng Joo Ngan(pix) said they would only finalise their squad once they receive complete details of the routes.

“So far, the routes are still not known because Vietnam has yet to announce them. We expect them to be announced a few days before the start of the event.

“So, because of that, the list of riders for the event has not been finalised and we want it to be done in detail,” he told reporters at the National Sports Council (NSC) here today.

Meanwhile, Joo Ngan said he would leave for Vietnam to identify the type of road racing events to be held and the routes to be used so as to ensure they return home with a medal.

“I will go there (Vietnam) next week to survey the routes and try to make an assessment before deciding on who to field… who will be fielded for the sprint as well as for the climbs.

“Having a strong team does not necessarily mean we will win because it involves meticulous planning to bag a medal. If we field the wrong riders, we may run into some problems,” he said.

Joo Ngan said he is targeting a 1-1-1 medal haul from the national road racing team at the Hanoi SEA Games that will be held from May 12-23.

Of the five road racing events contested at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, Malaysia bagged two golds, three silvers and one bronze.

The national road cycling team, however, returned home empty-handed from the 2019 edition in the Philippines.-Bernama