Day: May 22, 2024

NILAI, National track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang may have to pay a high price by skipping the final stages of the men’s sprint competition to focus on his favourite event, keirin, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Azizulhasni, nicknamed The Pocket Rocketman, said he might ‘withdraw’ from the bronze medal race in men’s sprint if he loses in the semi-finals, to conserve energy for the keirin event at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome.

“At the 2024 Olympics, the sprint event is held first, followed by keirin, so the plan is, if I can reach the final (sprint), I will push myself to finish it.

‘If we go only for the bronze race, I will pull out to focus on the keirin,’ he told reporters after winning the men’s elite sprint at the 2024 National Track Cycling Championships at the National Velodrome here yesterday.

In the final, the Terengganu rider beat fellow national cyclist Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom from Johor 2-0.

Azizulhasni admitted that he threw his race in the men’s sprint preliminary r
ounds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after being eliminated in the 1/8 repechages to concentrate on the keirin event, where he eventually won silver.

The 2017 world keirin champion also said he has been shaping up well for his final Olympic appearance, especially after enduring a challenging competition at the Japan Track Cup at the Izu Velodrome, Shizuoka, recently.

“In Japan, I was not in top condition plus I didn’t wear actual race gear. But I was not far from their riders who were at their peak because that event was the official selection for their Olympic squad,” he said.

Despite a punishing schedule which saw him competing in 21 races at the Japan Track Cup, Azizulhasni still brought home two bronze medals in the sprint and keirin events.

The Dungun-born rider said he will try to gauge the performance of other cyclists when competing in a tournament in Belgium next month, which will be his final international competition before the Paris Olympics.

“The race in Belgium will be part of the preparation f
or the 2024 Olympics. I will not show our actual tactics but will try to monitor other riders’ form there,” he said.

The 2024 Olympics will be held from July 26 to Aug 11.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Former women’s singles world champion, PV Sindhu hopes to end her close to two-year title drought by winning her third Malaysia Masters title at the Axiata Arena here, to gain a timely boost for the 2024 Paris Olympics scheduled from July 26 to Aug 11.

The world number 15 Indian shuttler, who last tasted tournament victory at the Singapore Open in July 2022, believes a good run in the last few World Tour tournaments, will elevate her confidenc as she is gunning for a third Olympic medal in her third appearance in the world’s biggest multi-sport event.

Sindhu, 28, previously had clinched silver during her Olympic debut in Rio 2016 Games, while ending up with bronze in the COVID-19 delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.

‘I had a really good preparation and training for this tournament. I am hoping to win the tournament but just focusing on the next round at the moment and 100 percent in every match, then you will automatically get your confidence.

‘July is really right at the corner, so very important to
be at the top level during the Olympics, and give 100 percent because everybody is going to be at their highest level at that point, so still hoping for a medal, yeah let’s see,’ she told reporters today.

Earlier, the 2019 world champion ahd ousted Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmouor 21-17, 21-16 in the first round of the Super 500 Malaysia Masters with loud cheers from the local crowd, to face South Korean Sim Yu Jin, tomorrow.

Sindhu previously had bagged the Malaysia Masters title in 2016 and 2013 (the known as Malaysia Grand Prix Gold)

She is also expecting a higher competitive level at the Olympics this time compared to previous editions.

‘Almost all top one to 15 players are almost at the same level. Though its my third Olympics, everytime it keeps on changing as it only comes once in four years, and the level of play and the players are different, so competition is definitely higher for 2024,’ she added.

Though she is next scheduled to play in the higher tiered Super 750 Singapore Open next week (May 28 to
June 2) and Super 1000 Indonesia Open (June 4-9), Sindhu said it depends on her physical and mental conditions.

Sindhu, who had won five world championship medals in total, has yet to get her breakthrough since returning from a knee injury,early this year.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, After going through the trials and tribulations to gather various titles in local and international competitions, national mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See have decided to bid farewell from competitive badminton.

Peng Soon-Yee See made the announcement after going down 10-21, 6-21 to Cheng Xing-Li Qian from China in the 2024 Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil today.

Recollecting the start of an aspiring career in badminton with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), Peng Soon said he had to endure six months of hardship without salary or income, while attending trials and waiting to be absorbed into the BAM fold as an 18 year-old.

Peng Soon, now 36, had during that time even doubted if badminton was the right career path that he had chosen.

‘From my state (Penang), joined the BAM, six months no income or salary but food wasn’t a problem. No regrets, because through badminton I have seen the world, many traditions and culture all over the world.

‘(Natural
ly) worked hard in training until now, not easy. I just wish to tell the young players that if they want to become a national player it is not easy. National players to reach world standard must work hard, there is no short cut,’ he said.

Asked about his success in winning the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil with Goh Liu Ying which will certainly remain the highest point of his career, Peng Soon said he was thankful and grateful to many people because through the success many people began to realise that a mixed doubles category existed in the badminton world.

However, he feels the mixed doubles category remains in the shadows of the more popular singles and doubles competitions.

‘I hope the BAM will continue to give prominence to mixed doubles as an important part because I feel mixed doubles can progress,’ he said adding that the country’s badmintonn legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei is an icon with no parallel because he had his own aura for the game.

Peng Soon said after his retirement from c
ompetitive badminton, he would focus on the Chan Peng Soon Badminton Academy as well as consider offers for coaching, including from the BAM.

Meanwhile, Yee See said the age factor was not the main reason for deciding to bid farewell to competitive badminton but rather felt the time has come to seek a new venture in life.

The 29-year old shuttler said contributing a winning point in the 2021 Sudirman Cup competition in Vantaa, Finland would remain etched in her memory.

Peng Soon had in 2019 quit the BAM to continue his career as a professional mixed doubles player with partner Goh Liu Ying.

The duo qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, their third appearence after the career-high silver medal feat at the Rio Olympics in 2016 after making their debut in 2012 in London.

However, Peng Soon and Liu Ying decided to part ways in 2021 and soon after decided to partner Yee See in 2022 and went on to win the 2023 Kuala Lumpur Masters.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

SHAH ALAM, The fourth surgery undergone by sensational Harimau Malaya and Selangor FC (SFC) winger Muhammad Faisal Abdul Halim, better known as Faisal Halim, has shown positive results, according to SFC Board Member Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar.

Shahril said that Faisal Halim, who underwent split skin grafting surgery on Monday, will be assessed by specialists to determine whether the player, known as ‘Mickey by fans’, will be allowed to return home or not.

“For this surgery, the progress has been very good. Normally, with skin grafting, covering 70 percent of the wounded area is considered good, but it’s miraculous for Faisal to have covered all the injured and affected areas, with the wounds looking dry and neat.

“The specialists will not only observe the wounded area but also the donor part, which is both sides of Faisal’s thighs, to ensure he can move easily before being discharged,” he told a press conference at the private hospital treating Faisal Halim here today.

Split skin grafting surgery is a pr
ocedure where skin is taken from various parts of the body and grafted onto the wounded areas caused by acid.

However, Shahril noted that the medical team treating Faisal Halim is optimistic that the 26-year-old player will be allowed to return home within the next two or three days, although it will take three to six months for the recovery process before he can return to action.

Meanwhile, Shahril said that SFC’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Muhammad Hazwan Khair, will collaborate with several physiotherapists and the National Sports Institute (ISN) to design a rehabilitation programme for Faisal Halim after he is discharged from the hospital.

‘Dr Hazwan will work closely with ISN and physiotherapists to plan a rehabilitation programme for Faisal for two or three months. Dr Hazwan and the ISN are designing a programme for Faisal, which will include exercises, muscle building, and more,’ he said.

On May 5, Faisal Halim suffered fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body after being splashed with acid
by an unidentified individual at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, limiting his movement and speech.

The player, who won the Best Goal Award at the 2023 Asia Cup in Qatar in January, has undergone four surgeries for treatment and recovery, and is expected to be unable to play for five or six months, thus missing two matches in the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers/2027 Asia Cup against Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan next month.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

NILAI, National track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang bade farewell to the National Track Cycling Championships in normal fashion by defending the men’s elite keirin gold in the 2024 edition at the National Velodrome here today.

Although trailing in the early stages, Azizulhasni, nicknamed the Pocket Rocketman stayed cool, calm and composed before hurtling his way past his opponents in the final round to clinch gold for Terengganu.

Johor’s Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, bronze medallist in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and his brother Muhammad Ridwan took home the silver and bronze respectively.

Azizulhasni, the 2017 keirin world champion, described his victory today as a good result as he faced stiff competition from Muhammad Shah Firdaus, Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom and Selangor’s Muhammad Fadhil Mohd Zonis.

“Although Muhammad Fadhil sped off in the early stages, I did not panic. Some other riders tried to block me to try and get ahead but I chose to stay calm (before romping to victory),’ he said.

Azizulhasni, who admitted to competing today despite feeling unwell after winning the men’s elite sprint gold by defeating Muhammad Ridwan yesterday, has decided to skip the men’s elite 1-kilometre (km) time trial event on the final day of the championships tomorrow.

After being given a testing time by 23-year-old Muhammad Ridwan in yesterday’s sprint event, the two-time Olympic medallist was again impressed with the performance of the young rider.

Azizulhasni, 36, is confident the young Muhammad Ridwan will be able to rock the track cycling scene in two years’ time.

Meanwhile, rising star Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri bagged gold for Kedah in the women’s elite keirin event.

The 20-year-old, who is set to make her maiden appearance in the 2024 Paris Olympics, turned on the power to leave Selangor’s Yong Ann Tung and Penang’s Nurul Aliana Syafika Azizan to settle for silver and bronze respectively.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to Aug 11.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency