KUALA LUMPUR — The national cycling fraternity received good news when the president of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) Datuk Amarjit Singh (picture) won the position of Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) president at the election held in Bangkok today.

Amarjit defeated Indonesian Olympic Council (MOI) president Raja Sapta Oktohari by a 24-17 vote count, thus marking an unique history, by repeating the achievements of his father Tan Sri Darshan Singh who held the position from 1996 to 2005.

He said it was a great honour for him to have the delegates’ trust to lead the Asian cycling governing body.

“I am very touched by the trust given by all the delegates who elected me as the new ACC President. It’s a great honour. This victory means a lot to Malaysia as the ACC headquarters will return to Malaysia.

“I will not disappoint all countries in Asia and will work to ensure that the OneAsia Agenda that I bring will become a reality,” the Executive Committee Member of the International Cycling Union (UCI) said in a statement today. 

Amarjit explained that he has a big agenda for the ACC because the cycling world at this point is getting more challenging, not to mention that the Asian continent is one of the largest affiliates of the UCI, besides having great potential.

“UCI President David Lappartient, who is also an IOC (International Olympic Committee) Member, met me shortly after the election and he assured me and the ACC of UCI’s full support to continue the development of cycling on the Asian continent and my OneAsia Agenda,” he said.

For the record, former ACC president Osama Ahmed Abdullah Al Shafar of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not contest after two terms in the number one position.

In October last year, Amarjit was elected as the new MNCF President. — BERNAMA