KUALA LUMPUR: Just over a month after leaving the paddock, former Sepang Circuit and RNF MotoGP boss Datuk Razlan Razali is preparing to make a comeback to sports administration albeit in a different form of two-wheeled racing.
Razlan, a keen triathlete, has confirmed that he intends to run for president if he is nominated for the position at Kuala Lumpur Cycling Association's (KLCA) annual general meeting-cum-elections next month.
Datuk Saniboey Mohd Ismail is the current KLCA president.
"I was approached by the KLCA committee members about the possibility of contesting for president before Christmas," said Razlan when contacted today.
"I told them I needed some time, perhaps a week or two, to think about it because I know from my experiences with the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) that it is not easy to run an association.
"I then met with (KL coach) Datuk Ng Joo Ngan as well as the riders a few times to better understand the association.
"I have now decided to take up the challenge, but of course I will have to be nominated.
"I used to cycle with Joo Ngan and M. Kumaresan when I was a teenager though my limited talent did not allow me to go further in the sport at the time.
"My passion has always been about two-wheeled racing, regardless of whether it is in motorsports or cycling and that includes developing young talent.
"We all know that KLCA was a formidable association before the 2000s. We want to return it to its former glory.
"Being based in KL gives the association an advantage when compared to other associations.
"In theory, they should be doing better and I will take that as a challenge."
Razlan, 52, said he has already started planning KLCA's revival.
"I met again with the committee members at my office earlier this week to discuss our plans for this year," added Razlan.
"I told them that we cannot wait for the AGM, we have to start planning now regardless of whether I am elected as president or not. We can't afford to waste time.
"The Malaysia Games is coming up and we have to prepare the riders for that."
The Malaysia Games will be held in Sarawak on Aug 17-24.
On a separate note, Razlan added that he will still be involved in motorsports and expects to make an announcement on his next move by early February.
"We are working on finalising it at the moment but I won't be involved on the team side, it will be more towards the financial and sponsorship aspect," he said.
Razlan's RNF MotoGP team, co-owned and sponsored by Cryptodata, faced issues late last year which ultimately led them to be stripped of their MotoGP grid slots for this season. The team was taken over by new owners.
