Terengganu women break national team pursuit record twice to win Sukma gold

NILAI, August 23 — The Terengganu women's track cycling team achieved a historic double triumph at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) as they secured the gold medal in the team pursuit event and shattered the national record twice. The quartet, including sisters Nur Aeirin and Nur Aieris alongside Dahlia Hazwani and Ameera Alya, clocked a time of 4 minutes 42.878 seconds in the final.

This performance surpassed the previous record of 4 minutes 46.824 seconds, set by the same group in the qualifying round. Preceding the current record, the Johor team had claimed the national record in 2022 with a time of 4 minutes 47.317 seconds at the SUKMA event. Terengganu edged out Johor to secure the gold, while Kedah claimed the bronze medal.

Team captain Aieris Madhiah expressed that winning the gold medal was an unexpected delight that ended a long wait for Terengganu, as the last team pursuit gold was claimed by the state in 2018. She credited the team's hard work and unity for their impressive performance. Aieris Madhiah revealed that the team's primary focus during the games was on road events, with extensive training held in a centralised camp in Thailand prior to the SUKMA.

The group's experience and teamwork gained over two years of rigorous training played a crucial role in their success, especially as track preparations were limited due to their main emphasis on road events. The four athletes had been training together for two years and had already participated in two major national events before this SUKMA competition.