Cyclist Azizulhasni Claims National Sports Council Hindered Olympic Training Support
Azizulhasni Awang claimed the promise to provide an adequate training support system to prepare him for the 2024 Paris Olympics is not met.
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Former world keirin champion Azizulhasni Awang said his stellar track record over the years proves that he deserves getting the support he needs to prepare for his final Olympic appearance in Paris next year.
The Pocket Rocketman, as he’s nicknamed, is a two-time Olympic medallist.
Azizulhasni, 35, had been based in Melbourne since 2017 as Malaysia did not have a proper velodrome at the time.
He was promised an adequate training support system to prepare him for the 2024 Paris Games before his move back to Malaysia last year.
When this promise wasn’t met, he publicly criticised certain figures in the National Sports Council (NSC) last week.
If I can’t get a good support system, it’s better for me to go back to train in Melbourne. There is a little more than a year left before the Paris Olympics in 2024. It’s not that I don’t like being in Malaysia, but for a world-class athlete like me, training in Melbourne is more effective. I can train calmly there without distractions, especially politics in sports (in Malaysia).
Azizulhasni Awang
According to New Straits Times, the Road-to-Gold programme committee is looking into the issue.
Azizulhasni said he has proven throughout the years that he could dominate in the sport on an international level despite his small size. The cycling sport is dominated by Europeans who possess a bigger physique.
I have already carried that responsibility (as one of the nation’s leading athletes) for a long time. To achieve all this shows that I deserve to get the best treatment (from the NSC). If people still want to deny me this, I don’t know what to say.
Azizulhasni Awang
He recently won two gold medals at the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) after undergoing open heart surgery in 2022, Malay Mail reported.
He indicated that he plans to retire from competitive cycling after the Paris Olympics.
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