SINGAPORE, 29 August 2015 – MALAYSIAN star rider Mohd Harrif bin Saleh continued his dominant winning streak in South-East Asia as he and his team mates clinched the title of OCBC Cycle Speedway South-East Asia (SEA) Championship Champion on Saturday evening at the OCBC Arena at the Singapore Sports Hub in style.

The Malaysians were a class above their competitors from start to finish as Harrif and team mate Muhamad Adiq Husainie bin Othman cruised through the finish line to win the inaugural OCBC Cycle Speedway SEA Championship in an exciting finale witnessed by the enthusiastic home crowd and fans, recording a timing of 18 minutes and 44 seconds.

A beaming Harrif said: "I found the handover part of the race exciting. I was confident that we had a chance at winning as my teammates are very good and fast. It feels good to be bagging another win in a race in Singapore and I definitely want to return again." Harrif clinched two gold medals at the 28th South-east Asian Games in Singapore in June this year.

With the team from across the Causeway holding an unassailable lead, the race around the fast and flat 1-kilometre course surrounding the iconic Singapore Sports Hub turned into a two-horse battle for second place as Singapore’s Low Ji Wen and Brunei’s Abdul Hadrie Morsidi found themselves in an intense tactical battle to see who could finish ahead of the other to secure the second spot on the podium. The Bruneian turned on the jets 80 metres from the finish line to finish ahead of the local hero by half a bicycle length.

However, there was a twist at the end of the 10-lap race, as Brunei suffered a 10-second penalty due to an infringement which occurred at the changeover point. The returning rider from the first 5 laps of the race did not get off his bike before the dismount line as he passed his wristband to his partner. The infringement relegated Brunei to third place with an official finishing time of 22 minutes and 54 seconds. Singapore was second with a finishing time of 22 minutes and 44 seconds.

"I thought the event was really interesting. I expected it to be tough but I didn’t expect it to be so tactical," said Singapore’s Low Ji Wen. "The exchanges between the pairs also proved to be a little tricky, which took us riders some time and tactics to get through it. I don’t think I faced any difficulties. Everyone was on a level playing field with the new format, so I thought it was fair. For a first time, I thought it was fantastically organised and it worked out really well. I’ve seen the Malaysians race and I’ve raced with them numerous times. The way they race in each round just goes to show how strong they are."

Earlier during the OCBC Cycle Speedway Club Championship, the atmosphere was just as electrifying as 15 top local cycling clubs battled for bragging rights to be called the nation’s best cycling team. After a hard-fought race, it was the Joyriders Racing Team 1 who proved their worth, clinching the title as the inaugural champion of the OCBC Cycle Speedway Club Championship with a finishing time of 18 minutes and 54 seconds. The Geylang Cycling Team (18:55) and Specialized Mavericks 2 (18:56) came in second and third respectively.

"It feels fantastic to win. We train together quite often, so to be able to pull together a win, and to do so as a team, it was a great race for us today. We train for races in general, so this is just one of the many events that we do. It is part of a regular training schedule that we do," said Joyriders Racing Team 1’s captain Brian Johnsen. He added: "This is a new format, so I think there could be some changes that can help the format a bit. I think the transition could be done better. Overall, the event was pretty well organised."

Singapore Cycling Federation’s President, Suhaimi Haji Said, was extremely pleased on how the event turned out on the first day, saying: "The inaugural OCBC South-East Asia and Club Championships proved to be a thrilling race format for both participants and spectators. It was great witnessing some of the best cyclists from around the region and Singapore battle it out against one another and we’re confident that this event is going to be a key highlight in the cycling calendar for years to come!"

"We are very pleased with how the OCBC Cycle Speedway SEA and Club Championships turned out to be. We witnessed some of the best riders compete against each other right here at the Singapore Sports Hub, and we are glad that everyone had a great time, including fans and supporters. We are also happy that the kids got to have a fun time at the The Mighty Savers rides. Here at OCBC Cycle, there’s always something for everyone, be it participants or supporters." Said Koh Ching Ching, Head of Group Corporate Communications, OCBC Bank.

Earlier on in the day, the OCBC Cycle 2015 kicked off with the Mighty Savers® Kids Ride, which proved to be a hit with the children and families. The rides saw some 120 children aged 2 – 5 years old, with one of their parents by their side, cycle a distance of 100m, while another 120 children from the 5 – 9 year old category had their fair share of fun, cycling for a duration of 20 minutes around the OCBC Arena.

The Mighty Savers® Family Ride for 5 – 9 years old saw 90 participants enjoy 20 minutes worth of cycling time as a unit, while another 95 children aged 10 – 12 years old cycled for 30 minutes to wrap up the Mighty Savers® Kids Ride on a sunny Saturday morning.

11-year-old Ng Rae Wern gave the event the thumbs up, saying: "My mother encouraged us to take part as a family so my father, younger brother and I signed up for different categories. I have been cycling since I was 6 years old, but this is my first official cycling event. It was quite fun and I want to come back again next year."

A total of 40 bicycles were also donated to OCBC’s "Sponsor a Child’s Bike Programme". The beneficiaries are kids who come from the Singapore Children’s Society, Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities and Yu Neng Primary School, some of whom took part in the morning’s festivities.

"One thing I learnt from this event is that confidence is important! Today’s ride was tiring but I did not give up and it was a good experience overall," said Putri Maisarah Dzul Hidayat, 10 years old, who was overjoyed when she found out that she got to keep the bike that was sponsored by Polaris Consulting & Services Ltd. "I can now cycle to school and also cycle at the park with my family," she said.

Mr. Ankit Sharma from Polaris Consulting & Services Ltd said, "We wanted to do our part to help the underprivileged kids from the Singapore Children’s Society. We see our participation in this programme as an extension of Polaris’ existing CSR initiative, Ullas, where we sponsor children’s education. Earlier during the Mighty Savers® Kids Ride, I was cheering the children on! Despite the hot weather, they displayed strong perseverance and spirit."

The OCBC Cycle 2015 continues tomorrow at the Singapore Sports Hub with the Community Rides, which will see cyclists participate in The Straits Times Ride (23km) and The Sportive Ride (42km).

More details on OCBC Cycle 2015 can be found on www.ocbccycle.com .