(Photo UCI)
The Malaysian city of Johor Bahru will house the new World Cycling Centre (WCC) Regional Development Satellite centre.
The new Satellite features a 250m indoor velodrome – the Iskandar Puteri Velodrome – and a BMX Racing track with 5 and 8m start hills. It becomes the third UCI WCC Regional Development Satellite, alongside those in Shuzenji (Japan) and Rwanda (based in Musanze, Bugesera, and Rwamagana).
The Satellite will focus primarily on BMX Racing, organising talent identification and training camps, as well as coaching courses for the discipline.
The Satellite, whose creation was approved by the UCI Management Committee during its meeting in June 2025, was inaugurated yesterday, in the presence of UCI President David Lappartient, UCI Director General Amina Lanaya, President of the Asian Cycling Confederation and UCI Vice-President Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill Darshan Singh, and Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, the Honourable Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan.
The UCI WCC network also includes Continental Development Satellites in Africa (South Africa), the Americas (Canada, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago), Asia (China and South Korea), Europe (Portugal), and Oceania (New Zealand).
The Satellites – both continental and regional – work closely with the UCI WCC to develop cycling in all regions of the world. In addition to providing training for talented cyclists, UCI WCC Satellites deliver educational programmes to ensure that members of athletes’ support teams – including coaches and mechanics – possess the necessary qualifications to guide them to the highest possible level.
Johor Bahru hosted two editions of the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships, in 1996 and 2015
UCI President David Lappartient said: “The inauguration of the UCI WCC Regional Development Satellite in Johor Bahru marks a particularly welcome addition to our existing network of training and education centres in Asia. Athletes and their coaching and support staff now benefit from a centre of excellence in the southeast of the continent, a region with great potential for the development of cycling, especially BMX Racing, one of our Olympic disciplines. I would like to thank all those involved in this remarkable project, and I look forward to seeing champions from this new Satellite shine in events on the UCI International Calendar.”
President of the Asian Cycling Confederation and Vice-president of the UCI Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill Darshan Singh said: “The launch of the UCI World Cycling Centre Regional Development Satellite in Johor Bahru, Malaysia marks a truly transformative moment for Asian cycling. As the fourth centre in Asia following Japan, China and Korea, this new hub reflects our continent’s strong commitment to excellence and long-term athlete development. Neighbouring ASEAN countries will also be able to benefit from the programmes, training pathways and capacity-building opportunities offered here. This centre will serve as an important engine for talent development and technical advancement, ensuring that Asia continues its rise on the global cycling stage. We are proud to host this milestone initiative together with the UCI and look forward to seeing new champions and future leaders emerge from Johor and across the Continent.”
