Sukma: Kedah look to race smart against richer rivals

Sungai Buloh - In an impressive display, Kedah's mountain bike cross-country team clinched the women's Olympic gold medal for an unprecedented fourth time at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sungai Buloh today. Head coach Noor Alfizar Othman, usually stern, was seen smiling with her victorious athletes. Despite their success, Alfizar remains focused on future victories, particularly in the women's road race scheduled for next week in Bagan Lalang.

However, she acknowledges that their team lacks the depth of states like Terengganu and Johor, which field three or four strong riders each.

Alfizar's team currently has only two riders mature enough to contest for the podium, making it difficult to allocate their resources across multiple events. Johor and Terengganu, having sent riders for training abroad, are viewed as stronger competitors. In a strategic move, the team has opted not to participate in the individual time trial tomorrow, instead focusing on saving their energy for other races.

Their ultimate goal is to secure a gold medal either in the individual category or the team category, a feat they achieved two years ago during the mass start road race.

Alfizar, a well-respected figure in Kedah, has nurtured top-quality talent for her state, including Phi Kun Pan and Izzah Izzati Asri, Nabilah's elder sister, who have both won medals at the Asian level. She emphasizes that there are more promising young riders, aged 21 and 18, who are already challenging the elite riders. Alfizar's vision is to nurture these young talents and secure an upset at Sukma 2028, which will be held in Kelantan.

The men's (29.5km) and women's (23km) individual time trials will take place at Persiaran Pantai Utara, Bagan Lalang, tomorrow.