KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — National track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang feels he will have a peaceful retirement if he manages to win a gold medal in track cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympics which starts in July.
Azizulhasni, 36, winner of the silver medal in the keirin event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics said presenting the country’s first gold medal to the people of Malaysia is what he is aspiring to do in Paris.
However, the 2017 keirin world champion, is aware that he would be facing all kinds of challenges, including using extraordinary tactics and absurd methods from other riders.
“If I win a gold, it will be for Malaysia and the people, and I too can retire with a big smile, that is the plan. However, we cannot determine what will happen, for example I was in my prime form when competing in the quarterfinal and semifinal of the Tokyo Olympics,
“I won in the semis without a 100 per cent effort but I was confident of winning in the final but there was a rider who used a very unusual tactic to win,” he said after attending a tea reception hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam at his residence in Bukit Tunku, here today.
In the keirin final of the Tokyo Olympics, Azizulhasni was seen as the rider with a good chance of winning but Australian rider Matthew Glaetzer’s unusual gamble gave Great Britain rider Jason Kenny a clear gap to sprint away for the gold.
Tun Musa hosted a tea reception for Mohd Azizulhasni and two other Paris-bound riders Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri at his residence which was also attended by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, YSD chairman Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar who is also the former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, National Track Cycling head coach John Beasley as well as corporate figures.
Track cycling and badminton are as gold medal prospects in Paris. — Bernama
