KUCHING: The 76 Indonesian Downhill 2025 Series 2 proved a humbling yet rewarding test for Sarawak’s youth and junior riders, who managed two top-10 results amid a high-calibre field.
The tournament was held from August 8 to 10, and the event saw five Sarawak representatives – two men’s youth riders, two women’s youth riders, and one men’s junior rider – take on Indonesia’s best in one of the region’s most competitive downhill cycling meets.
Sarawak Cycling Association President, Irawan Sudarsono, said the team gave their all, but acknowledged that the host nation’s riders were “just next level above” in performance and depth.
“Out of our five riders, we had one top-five finish through Sharifah Nur Aina Marissa Wan Ridzaudin in the women’s youth category, and a top-10 placing for Muhammad Luthfil Hasief Freddie in the men’s youth event,” he said.
Irawan described the competition in Indonesia as exceptionally tough, with the team well aware that it would be a challenging outing.
“The level of competition here in Indonesia is very high and we knew it would be a humbling experience.
“But I think it was a good experience for knowledge sharing for management, coaches, and the athletes themselves,” he told Sarawak Tribune when contacted recently.
Despite not securing podium finishes, the Sarawak contingent is optimistic that the lessons learned from competing against top-tier regional riders will help raise their performance in future events.
