JOHOR BARU, Aug 16 — National track cycing ace Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom will channel his entire focus on the World Track Cycling Championships in France, scheduled in October, to qualify for the keirin final and emerge from the shadows of his mentor.

Shah Firdaus who hopes to stamp his mark in the keirin event, despite making his debut in the event at the World Championships, said the absence of keirin ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang in Paris, would give him a perfect opportunity to establish himself as the likely replacement.

The World Championships is not new to Shah though because this will be his fourth appearence in the championships but he has been competing only in the Sprint events and not keirin, as Azizulhasni was the obvious choice.

"I have been competing in world championships and other international cycling championships for many years and this will be my fourth World Track Cycling Championships. Therefore, I hope to come back back with a positive result.

"In the past my focus was only on sprint events but this time around I have to concentrate on both the sprint and keirin events because Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni will not be competing in Paris,” he said after receiving incentives under the Johor Incentives Scheme for Johor athletes who excelled in the 2012 Vietnam SEA Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, here last night.

The Muar-born 26-year-old had won a bronze medal in the keirin event at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

"To make an impact in Paris I must first qualify for the keirin final. However, based on the riders who competed in the Commonwealth Games, making it to the final is not impossible since most of the riders who will be in Paris, were in Birmingham.

"After coming back from the Commonwealth Games, I have little or no time to spare as I have started my training to be prepared for the toughest and most prestigious race in the world.

"I know it will be a tall order to emulate Azizulhasni who is also known as The Pocket Rocketman for his burst of speed, especially at the finish line but I will try to continue his legacy,” he said.

Azizulhasni himself had in a Facebook posting on August 5, declared that Shah’s emergence in keirin had answered the question of who would be his (Azizulhasni) successor in the keirin event. — Bernama