FEATURE: Meet the cyclist tracking Malaysia s 1st Olympic gold
Diminutive track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang is heading to the Tokyo Games with big dreams of becoming the first Malaysian to win an Olympic gold medal.
He may be just 1.68 meters in height, but he is no stranger to standing tall on the world stage, demonstrated best when he earned the Southeast Asian country its first Olympic medal in cycling, a bronze in keirin at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Now, gold is firmly on his Tokyo agenda.
Malaysian track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang (R) defeats Japanese racer Tomohiro Fukaya in the men s sprint final at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 30, 2018. (Kyodo)
Trusted partner: Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom will be competing along side Azizulhasni Awang in the sprint and keirin.
PETALING JAYA: “I’d be lying if I say there is no pressure,” said Azizulhasni Awang as he counts down the nine remaining days before it’s curtains up for the Tokyo Olympics.
But the track cyclist, who is seen as Malaysia’s best hope for an Olympic gold, is taking the expectations of a nation in his stride.
The only Malaysian world champion in an Olympic sports discipline when he rode to gold in the 2017 World Track Cycling Championships in Hong Kong, Azizul said he is used to the pressure having represented the nation for 15 years.
Jul 15, 2021
KUALA LUMPUR – Diminutive track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang is heading to the Tokyo Games with big dreams of becoming the first Malaysian to win an Olympic gold medal.
He may be just 1.68 meters in height, but he is no stranger to standing tall on the world stage, demonstrated best when he earned the Southeast Asian country its first Olympic medal in cycling, a bronze in keirin at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Now, gold is firmly on his Tokyo agenda.
Azizulhasni, a regular near the top of the International Cycling Union world ranking lists in sprint and keirin, says the increased experience and confidence he carries on his heavily-muscled shoulders will allow him to make a mark at his fourth straight Olympic Games.
Almost all athletes likely to make it to Tokyo have been given the jab thesundaily.my - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thesundaily.my Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Almost all athletes likely to make it to Tokyo have been given the jab Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Despite concerns that the fourth wave of Covid-19 may hit Japan, the Malaysian contingent is all prepared to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.
Almost all athletes who are expected to qualify have already been given the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and are awaiting their second dose next month before departing for Japan.
A bigger concern is, in fact, the postponement or cancellation of other tournaments the Malaysian athletes are to compete in before the Olympics.
They need to compete in those tournaments to qualify for the Tokyo games, according to Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria.