KUCHING: Terengganu’s Hanelang Bangkit BMX team soared to victory today (Aug 19), successfully defending the gold medal they clinched in the 2022 SUKMA edition.
Amer Akhbar Anuar emerged as the champion in the men’s BMX category, setting a new record time of 00:35.556 at the Bukit Siol DBKU BMX track in Petra Jaya.
Adding to Terengganu’s triumph, rising star Wan Muhammad Izzat Wan Mohd Baihaki secured the bronze medal, meeting the team’s target with a record time of 00:36.477.
Kedah’s Darwish Putra Mohd Sanusi claimed silver with a time of 00:36.427.
“Alhamdulillah for the Terengganu BMX team, who successfully defended the gold medal and met the target for the bronze in the men’s category. Although the weather was on our side as hoped, we were unfortunate not to see our senior female cyclist on the podium due to an accident during the final race,” said Terengganu BMX head coach Mohd Arif Syukri Ahmad Sabti.
A jubilant Amer expressed gratitude for winning his final gold medal on the SUKMA stage.
“This is my last appearance on the SUKMA stage, and indirectly I have improved my record, as I won the silver medal at the 2022 SUKMA,” he said.
The cyclist admitted to facing pressure from the qualifying session onwards.
“For SUKMA Sarawak, the pressure began to build from the qualifying session yesterday, where there was a small-time gap between me and the Kedah cyclist who won silver today. The same happened during the semi-finals early this morning, but Alhamdulillah, I finally won gold for Terengganu.”
Proud of his teammate’s achievement, Amer said, “I am proud of my teammate who won the bronze medal today, as it was the target set for Izzat. He is a young cyclist in our team, and I sincerely hope he can continue the legacy of the Terengganu BMX team at the next SUKMA.”
The Hanelang Bangkit cycling camp now shifts its focus to the MTB mountain biking events on Wednesday (Aug 21). With five gold, one silver, and three bronze medals so far, the team is well-positioned to clinch the overall championship at SUKMA Sarawak 2024.
