MALACCA: Like the children of Brazilian favelas who take to the streets to express their love for football, Malaysians do the same for their basikal nyamuk.
That’s how former national cyclists-turned-coaches Fairoz Izni Abdul Ghani and Firdaus Daud see it.
“The government runs programmes to encourage children to take up sports. They are costly, but what is the end result?
“Here are children whose passion for bicycles come naturally. You don’t have to force them to take up sports. There is nothing wrong with having a passion for bicycles,” said Fairoz.
Fairoz, 37, was involved in illegal bicycle races in Malacca, but made good as a national cyclist and then as a coach. He has picked up cyclists from the basikal nyamuk scene in Malacca.
“As a coach, I have seen two types of cyclists. First, those who came through the government’s regimented talent identification programmes, where athletes were tested and roped into development programmes,” he said.
“Then, I chanced upon a group of kids who had crashed into a drain while racing on bicycles. The difference in dedication and commitment was evident. The boy who had crashed into the drain was always the first to turn up for training.
“These are the boys whose dreams are of the adventures they can feel on their bicycles. That is all they want to do. Just like how a Brazilian favela boy’s life is all about football, theirs are all about bicycles. They will commit their lives to it.”
Fairoz said these children needed to be given direction and a platform to express their love for cycling and to progress.
“They need programmes that will complement their interest and guide them to do it safely. We should protect, not discourage, them.”
He said the tragedy in Johor Baru on Saturday, where eight teenagers were killed after being run over by a car while riding their mosquito bikes, should not be used to discourage children from such activities.
“Cycling is not a crime. Modifying bicycles is not a crime as well. People should not paint a picture that tarnishes the image of cycling.”
Firdaus, 32, is the son of late cycling legend Daud Ibrahim. Born into a life that revolves around cycling, he called on people to look at the bigger picture.
“Look at the group involved in that tragedy — the tenteraflyjb. It has almost 12,000 followers on Instagram. There is deep interest in this.
“People should look at it as something that children are deeply interested in. They were doing nothing wrong. Bicycles are meant to be ridden on the road. What should be done is to educate them on how to do it safely.
“That is a natural talent base right there, which can benefit the country immensely.”