Koreans out to stop Japan's dominance in Asia BMX C'ship

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The 2022 Asian BMX Bicycle Racing Championships (ACC BMX 2022) will kick start tomorrow at the National BMX Arena in Bandar Baru Nilai tomorrow, with a grand showdown of two Asian giants -- Japan and South Korea -- taking centre-stage.

Both teams are expected to dominate the two-day tournament in the battle for qualifying points to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, especially for Japan to consolidate its status as Asia's number one.

The decision of Japanese coach Masa Sampei to bring his strongest line-up also shows that the team from the Land of the Rising Sun are ready to stamp their dominance at the continental level, after performing well at the 2022 BMX Racing World Championships in Nantes, France recently.

"I still advise my men to not underestimate the ability of other riders even if they are considered as favourites," he said in a statement from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) today.

He also offered some advice to the Malaysian team, who want to make the championship the first platform for this year to hunt for recognition and comparable experience in track, highway and mountain bike (MTB) disciplines.

“All the teams competing here should enjoy the race. Don't feel pressured even though you are regarded as a new team," he said.

Meanwhile, president of the South Korean BMX Federation Kim Sung-tae was confident that his men will perform brilliantly to deny a complete dominance by Japan.

"We are here on a mission. Maybe Japan are a strong team. However, my men are ready to demonstrate excellent cycling and bring back some medals," he said.

Six events are contested at the ACC BMX 2022 -- elite, under-23 and junior for both men's and women's categories.

-- BERNAMA