Ali Ilyas defends title, wins gold at Asian Cycling Championship

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ali Ilyas defended his title by winning the gold medal in the men’s Masters Open category (35-39 age group) at the Asian Road Cycling Championship in Thailand, winning gold with a dominant performance in the individual time trial.

Ilyas completed the 21.4-kilometer course in 26 minutes, 30.556 seconds, averaging a speed of 48.44 km/h. He finished one minute, 14 seconds ahead of Thailand’s Narongdat Sangchai, who took silver. Another Thai cyclist, Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn, claimed bronze.

Other Pakistani cyclists competed in various age groups. Umayr Sahlan Masud finished ninth in the 45-49 category, Rehan Hyder placed fifth in the 55-59 category, and Qazi Atif secured seventh in the 60-64 category.

Pakistani cyclists will also compete in the under-23, men’s elite, and women’s Masters categories during the championship.

Pakistan’s Zainab Rizwan and Rabia Gareeb will race on Saturday in the women’s Masters event, while Yousaf will compete in the men’s under-23 event.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) President Syed Azhar Ali Shah praised Ilyas’s achievement.

“This is a moment of great honor for Pakistan’s cycling community. Ali Ilyas’s outstanding performance on the continental stage highlights Pakistan’s growing potential in international cycling,” Shah said in a statement. “The PCF remains committed to providing maximum opportunities for our athletes to excel on global platforms.”