KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu (pix) has described the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) maintaining its ProSeries status from 2023 to 2025 as a positive development for cycling in the country.
This, he said, would indirectly attract more international-class riders to compete in Asia’s oldest cycling race, with this year’s edition set to be held from Oct 11-18.
He also said that the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) would strive to ensure the LTdL would be able to continue to maintain its ProSeries status.
“My hope is that more parties will give their cooperation in terms of sponsorships so that the world’s best teams will make the LTdL a must on their to-do-list,” he said after witnessing the KBS MyLadies PlayerUnknown’s Battleground Mobile (PUBGM) 2.0 Championship here today.
He was commenting on the decision by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) management committee, which received the application by the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) to retain the LTdL’s ProSeries status on Thursday (Sept 22).
Ahmad Faizal said the participation of six World Tour teams - UAE Team Emirates, Lotto Soudal, Movistar, Cofidis, EF Education-EasyPost and Astana Qazaqstan - was proof that the LTdL continued to get the attention of the world’s top sides.
“This is the most number of World Tour teams competing and it’s an honour for us as it proves that the LTdL is a Tour of international standard,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the KBS PUBGM 2.0 meet, team Rage Unleashed Sassy emerged champions wtih 90 points, followed by The Gringos Esports (87 points) and Jabbybabby (77 points).
The championship is an initiative by the KBS to increase the participation of women e-sports enthusiasts in accordance with the aspirations outlined under the KBS Electronic Sports Strategic Development Plan 2022-2025.-Bernama
