The World Cycling Centre (WCC) Regional Development Satellite (RDS) in Johor Bahru has been officially recognised as the first International Cycling Union (UCI) Satellite Centre in Southeast Asia, marking a significant milestone in the region’s cycling development.
According to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, the UCI satellite centre here is the fourth in Asia, after South Korea, China, and Japan.
“There are only 11 such satellite centres in the world, and Malaysia now joins that list. This is a very good achievement and a proud moment for Johor to have this centre here for the region,” she said at a press conference after the launch of the centre the Johor Velodrome.
She added that the satellite centre would strengthen Malaysia’s position in the regional cycling scene.
“With this centre now recognised, I hope it opens up more opportunities for grant support, not just from UCI, but also from the Malaysian government and Johor,” she said.
Meanwhile, Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill, president of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF), stated that the WCC was established to develop young athletes, including in BMX and track cycling, and that it is expected to become a hub for nurturing young athletes in the region while increasing Malaysia’s presence in the international cycling community.
“We will work with coaches from WCC in Switzerland and other experts to nurture as many athletes as possible.
The satellite centre is designed to support not just Malaysia, but neighbouring ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brunei. This enables training together, knowledge sharing, and fostering regional cycling talent,” he added.
Meanwhile, UCI president David Lappartient stated that the union intends to continue expanding cycling’s reach around the world.
“We have 206 national federations affiliated with the UCI, which shows that cycling is truly a global sport. We must maintain universality within our sport and across our disciplines, and this is why we wanted to build a large network of satellite centres,” he added.
