Kuala lumpur: Five years after changing course from ice skating to track cycling, national male endurance cyclist Lau New Joe has set big dreams for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, not just chasing the best results, but also proving that the category he is competing in has a future in Malaysia.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 21-year-old cyclist said his debut in the omnium event in Aichi-Nagoya was an opportunity to show that the endurance category can also be one of the country's strengths if given the right attention and support. "I want to show that endurance also has a place and potential in Malaysia. I hope we can get more support for this category in this event like we have given to other categories," he said in a statement issued by the National Sports Council (MSN) today.
New Joe's journey in the sport began unplanned after his involvement in ice skating was halted following the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020, before Datuk Azizulhasni Awang's keirin silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics sparked his interest in track cycling. Less than a year after starting the sport, New Joe's talent was noticed when he was called to join the national squad under the guidance of Datuk Ng Joo Ngan. His rapid development was translated into several international appearances, including helping Malaysia win the men's team pursuit gold medal at the 2025 Thailand SEA Games.
Ahead of his appearance in Aichi-Nagoya, New Joe's preparations faced challenges when he was involved in an accident during the scratch event final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last month. However, he returned to training just five days after the incident, while MSN also provided a new bike after his old one broke. "I want to make sure that every training session achieves the set target and I give it my all. When the race day comes, I know I have done my best," he said.
New Joe hopes that his appearance at the Asian Games will not only be a stage to measure his ability at the continental level, but also the beginning of efforts to further strengthen the endurance category of track cycling in this country.