Kuala lumpur: National cycling legend M. Kumaresan has been appointed as the chairman of the Panel of Experts for the Olympic Sports Development Programme for cycling, effective this year. According to BERNAMA News Agency, the National Sports Council (NSC) stated that Kumaresan, the first Malaysian cyclist to qualify for the final of the point race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, was appointed to assist with talent development programmes at the state level. The panel, under Kumaresan's leadership, aims to strengthen the ecosystem of cycling talent development in the country to be more comprehensive and performance-based, supported by experts from various disciplines. The NSC outlined that the panel's primary responsibilities will include ensuring systematic implementation of athlete development, starting from talent search to high-performance levels. Additionally, the panel will plan the development programme's direction and monitor the performance of athletes and coaches. It will also assist in the s election of athletes, coaches, and training centers, while providing input on sports science and performance development. The NSC mentioned that other appointees to the panel include 2012 London Olympic cyclist Amir Mustafa Rusli, sprint coach Harnizam Basri, and former national cyclist Mohd Harrif Saleh, known for winning three stages in the Le Tour de Langkawi race. Other representatives in the panel are Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) vice-president Firdaus Arshad, NSC's Mohd Izham Mohamad, and the Education Ministry's Abdul Hadi Abdul Rahman. The NSC elaborated that the programme will focus on four key initiatives: enhancing the Talent Search Programme, implementing Talent Camps and Specific Camps according to event disciplines, improving technical, physical, and tactical skills of athletes, providing overseas training and competition opportunities, and enhancing the expertise of state coaches. NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin stated that the combined expertise in the Panel of Experts c ould reinforce the existing development ecosystem, and all inputs would form the foundation for producing more high-calibre cyclists. The NSC is confident that the appointment of the Panel of Experts 2026 will be a catalyst for developing sustainable and progressive state cycling talent, thus supporting the country's aspirations to produce more world-class athletes.