Terengganu snatch team gold, Kedah left to rue missed road cycling double

In the women's mass start road race at the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) on Wednesday, Terengganu emerged victorious in the team category, while Kedah lamented their missed double opportunity. The race saw Terengganu, Kedah, and Johor tied at eight hours, six minutes, and 27 seconds, with their positioning determined by individual finishing order during the bunch sprint. Terengganu edged out Kedah by a narrow margin, securing the gold medal. Johor rounded out the podium in third place overall.

Terengganu's head coach Syed Husaini Syed Mazlan acknowledged the slim margin for error his team faced. He emphasized that winning in the team category was the primary objective, with an individual medal being a bonus. He urged his riders to aim for the top 10, urging them to do their best if all teams finished on equal time. Husaini expressed satisfaction in securing the women's team gold, which compensated for their third-place finish in the men's team category the previous day.

Notably, Terengganu's Ameera Alya Zahiruddin, Dahlia Hazwani Hasyim, Arzi Masturina Batrisyia Arziwami, and sisters Nur Aieris and Nur Aierin Adni all achieved top-10 finishes in the individual category. Kedah, the defending champions in the team category, admitted to the disappointment of not defending their gold medal. They were separated from Terengganu by just one position in the final bunch sprint.

Coach Noor Alfizar Othman lamented the loss and expressed hope for more medals in the upcoming track events over the weekend.

Kedah's individual gold medalist Nurul Nabilah Asri won the women's mass start road race. However, their team effort suffered a setback after losing Zasqia Amni Zamri in a crash roughly 30km from the finish line. The remaining Kedah riders included Zahra Afifah Zamri, Nurain Syazwienafahmi Farid, and Nurnabila Johari.