# Malaysia Track Cycling: The Nilai National Velodrome and Its Champions

> The National Velodrome in Nilai is Southeast Asia's first indoor velodrome and the hub of Malaysian track cycling — the arena that has backed keirin champions like Azizulhasni Awang.

- Category: sports
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-08-01
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/sports/track-cycling-velodrome-malaysia

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A long, roofed arena on the outskirts of Nilai is now where Malaysia's fastest riders sharpen their sprints — and it was built specifically to produce more world track champions.

## Why did Malaysia build the National Velodrome in Nilai?

Malaysia's National Velodrome sits at Persiaran Perbandaran, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, and is managed by the National Sports Council of Malaysia. It was built as Southeast Asia's first indoor velodrome, giving coaches and athletes an enclosed facility that allows continuous training regardless of the weather.

The arena has become the country's main track cycling hub, replacing the older, more exposed and worn-out velodrome. With its international-standard facilities, it serves as the training and competition centre for the national team.

## What are the specifications of this velodrome's track?

The track was built by Velotrack GmbH to the standards of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Here are its key features:

| Feature | Specification |
| --- | --- |
| Track length | 250 metres |
| Surface material | Siberian spruce wood (hand-nailed) |
| Spectator capacity | Approximately 2,000 |
| Status | Southeast Asia's first indoor velodrome |
| Management | National Sports Council of Malaysia |
| Location | Nilai, Negeri Sembilan |

The track length and Siberian spruce wood material were recorded by the track builder, Velotrack GmbH, while the capacity of roughly 2,000 spectators and the "Southeast Asia's first indoor velodrome" status were recorded in Gruppe Dynamic's project documentation.

## Which champions emerged from the national track programme?

The programme's icon is Azizulhasni Awang, nicknamed the "Pocket Rocketman". His achievements include:

- **Rio 2016** — keirin bronze, his first Olympic medal.
- **Tokyo 2020** — keirin silver, behind Great Britain's Jason Kenny; this was his fourth consecutive Olympic appearance since Beijing 2008.
- **2017 World Championships** — keirin world champion in Hong Kong on 13 April 2017 with a time of 10.253 seconds, becoming the first Malaysian to wear the world champion's rainbow jersey.

## What is the role of the National Cycling Federation (MNCF)?

The MNCF coordinates the national track programme and the direction of the sport. On 3 May 2026, the MNCF received a letter from Khairy Jamaluddin, in his capacity as President of the Negeri Sembilan Cycling Association, proposing that the Nilai National Velodrome be renamed after Azizulhasni. MNCF President Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill expressed support but stressed that the decision cannot be made by the federation alone because the building is government-owned — and therefore rests with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

A grassroots development track in Dungun has already been named the Azizulhasni Awang Velodrome, showing how one athlete's success shapes infrastructure for a new generation.

## What's next

The proposal to rename the velodrome after Azizulhasni is still awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a process the MNCF says may take one to two years. If approved, the MNCF notes that the development track in Dungun which currently bears that name may need to be renamed to avoid a naming overlap.

## Sources

- Velodrom Track — Senarai Fasiliti dan Kemudahan — https://www.kbs.gov.my/senarai-fasiliti-dan-kemudahan/1327-velodrom-track.html (Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Malaysia (KBS))
- Malaysia, Nilai — Velotrack Portfolio — https://velotrack.de/portfolioreader/malaysia-nilai (Velotrack GmbH)
- Velodrom Nilai — Projects — https://gruppedynamic.com/wp/projects/velodrom-nilai/ (Gruppe Dynamic)
- Azizulhasni Awang crowned keirin world champion — https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2017/04/13/azizulhasni-awang-crowned-keirin-world-champion (Free Malaysia Today)
- Cyclist Azizulhasni bags silver at Tokyo 2020 — https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/586339 (Malaysiakini)
- MNCF to propose renaming Nilai Velodrome after Azizul — https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cycling/2026/05/03/mncf-to-propose-renaming-nilai-velodrome-after-azizul (The Star)

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