KUCHING: Sri Aman cyclist Lim Chia Hsien, who had to overcome obstacles to take part in the Suksar Games managed to get into the Northern Zone and managed a creditable runner-up position in the Suksar mountainbike event.
To make his success sweeter, the Northern Zone eventually emerged as the overall champions in this year’s SukSar (Sarawak Games). Chia Hsien, who was rejected by the Western zone selectors, finished behind Southern zone cyclist Brandon Lau Yu Siong who emerged champion with a time of 1:19:57.042. Another Southern zone cyclist, Lee Zhong Xin came third with a time of 1:23:26.162.
Favourite of the event, Ivan Ong Siong Li suffered a mishap when his bicycle chain broke in the second lap and did not finish the race. Chia Hsien who was interviewed after the race said he almost missed the Suksar event which he much looked forward to as he was very interested in representing the State in Sukma.
He was rejected by the Central Zone as he was from Sri Aman but coach Schepers helped him instead to get into the Northern Zone team, he managed to ride and had to borrow a jersey from his teammate for the race. After he approached local MSNS coach Laurel Lauridsen of his intention to join the training in August, Chia Hsien was often behind in the races with his fellow trainees but after encouragement from his coach to drive on, he did progress in his event.
“This second placing is my best so far as I had never taken part in a big race like Suksar and I started training only in August,” said Chia Hsien who had raced in races held in Kuching before. “I hope to do well in the next Sukma and hopefully even get a gold,” said Chia Hsien who had transferred from his school in Sri Aman to study at SMK Chung Hua No.3, here.
With the end of the mountainbike event on Saturday, Southern zone collected seven wins as they swept all the seven golds at stake in the seven cycling events.
Besides the mountainbike event, which did not have a women event, the other events they won are in the men’s and women’s criterium, the individual time trial both both men and women events, the 1km men event and the 500m women event.
Sarawak cycling head coach Leon Schepers who had been going the rounds doing the scouting for potential cyclists to represent the State in the Sukma 2018 in Perak gave away the prizes at the end of the race.
