Gen. Muek Pushes ASEAN Nations to Urge Malaysia to Add Cycling Events at 2027 SEA Games - Thairath English
"Gen. Muek" is advancing a unified ASEAN voice to urge Malaysia to increase cycling events at the 2027 SEA Games, stressing the need to follow Asian Games and Olympic standards.
"Gen. Muek," General Decha Hemkrasri, revealed that Malaysia included 23 cycling gold medals in the 34th SEA Games, but ASEAN Cycling Federation members disagree, especially since BMX includes only time trial events and mountain biking lacks downhill and Olympic cross-country. He plans to convene member nations within a week to jointly push for more events aligned with Asian Games and Olympic standards.
"Gen. Muek," General Decha Hemkrasri, Vice President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), President of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and President of the Cycling Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, disclosed that during the SEA Games Federation Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, 30 October 2026, a key agenda was reviewing events for the 34th SEA Games, which Malaysia will host from 18-29 September 2027. It was revealed that the host included a total of 23 gold medals across four cycling disciplines.
General Decha stated that the 23 gold medals comprise: Road cycling with six golds—men's criterium, men's team time trial, men's individual road race, men's team road race, women's individual road race, and women's team road race; BMX racing with two golds—men's and women's time trial; mountain biking with two golds—men's eliminator and mixed team cross-country relay; and track cycling with 13 golds—men's and women's team pursuit, men's sprint, men's and women's keirin, men's and women's sprint, men's and women's scratch race, men's and women's time trial, and men's and women's points race.
"Immediately following the announcement of events for the 34th SEA Games, many ASEAN Cycling Federation members expressed dissatisfaction with the event allocation, especially BMX racing, which features only the time trial event. Mountain biking includes just two gold medals—the men's eliminator and mixed team cross-country relay—while downhill and Olympic cross-country events are absent," General Decha said.
General Decha added that, in his capacity as ASEAN Cycling Federation President, he will expedite a meeting of the federation's executive committee to discuss with ASEAN member nations the best approach to urge the 34th SEA Games organizing committee to add key events aligned with standards of major competitions like the Asian Games and Olympics. The aim is to establish the SEA Games as an important platform to genuinely develop cycling standards in Southeast Asia. The meeting is expected within a week due to the urgent nature of the issue.
"Normally, pushing for the inclusion of events in the SEA Games is done by national sports associations or federations through their respective National Olympic Committees. In this case, the ASEAN Cycling Federation executive meeting aims to unify member countries to set joint demands. Additionally, beyond advocacy through each country's Olympic committee, the ASEAN Cycling Federation will coordinate directly with the organizing committee to request adding internationally standardized key events," General Decha concluded.
