KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — National track cycling champion, Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, today apologised to all Malaysians for failing to deliver the country’s first gold medal at Paris 2024.
Although five days have passed, he said he is still deeply affected by the incident in which he overtook the ‘pacer’ in the first round of the keirin event, leading to his disqualification and the end of his gold medal hopes.
The 36-year-old veteran athlete explained that his preparations for Paris 2024 had went smoothly, and he had constantly envisioned creating a sweet story for Malaysia and his career.
However, none of that materialised as planned when the incident led to his disqualification, and the moment seemed to come to a standstill for him.
”I cannot find the words to describe the feelings I experienced at that moment. I never imagined something like this would happen.
”I came to Paris with high hopes and a significant mission for our beloved country. Some might say the expectations were too high, causing me to lose control. But that was not the case; everything was within the proper limits.
”I remembered the promises I made to my mother, wife, and children that this would be my last Olympic appearance, as they all requested me to retire after recovering from heart surgery.
”I wondered if all this happened because I disregarded their wishes. From the start of my career until now, they have been my source of strength, allowing me to continue fighting and become one of the best in the world,” Azizulhasni took to Facebook.
Yesterday, Azizulhasni, also known as ‘The Pocket Rocketman,’ revealed that he had received requests from several parties, including his teammate Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sharom and national track cycling head coach John Beasley, asking him to continue his career until Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
However, he said he needed time to rest and discuss with his family before reconsidering his decision to retire.
”Islam teaches us to accept destiny. Everything that happens in this world has been determined by Allah before we were even created, and Allah is the best planner.
”I am grateful for my strong faith in Allah; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to process and accept everything that has happened,” he added.
Earlier, Azizulhasni, who was expected to end the nation’s gold medal drought at the world’s most prestigious event, faced misfortune when he was disqualified as early as the first round of the men’s keirin event at the Saint Quentin Velodrome last Saturday.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist was disqualified after being found to have overtaken the derny (a motorised bicycle acting as a pacer) before it left the track, forcing the race to restart without Azizulhasni’s participation.
