Latest news with #Azizulhasni
New Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Options aplenty for Azizulhasni if he decides to retire
KUALA LUMPUR: Former world keirin champion Azizulhasni Awang has no shortage of career options to choose from should he decide to retire from competitive cycling in the future. Azizulhasni had hinted at retirement after suffering a disappointing outing at the Paris Olympics last year, though last month announced that he will continue racing until next year's Nagoya Asian Games at the very least, albeit as an independent rider. "Actually after the Paris Olympics there were a lot of ideas to get me involved in sports management, business and so on," said Azizulhasni recently. "There was also an option to work with some of the sponsors and contribute back to (Malaysian) sports. "This is one of the reasons it took me a long time to come to a decision (on whether to retire or continue racing). "I also have plans to start my own academy in the future. "But it will have to wait as I feel that it (racing career) is not over yet. I have to complete this (chapter) first before I can be happy and focus on my career progress (outside of racing)." The Paris Olympics was originally expected to be Azizulhasni's swansong though it did not go to plan as he was disqualified from the men's keirin event after overtaking the derny in the opening round. Though he has committed to racing until next year, Azizulhasni is not sure whether he will stay on until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA2028) when he will be 40. "A lot of people are hoping I will stay on until LA2028 but to be honest, I am not thinking about that just yet," he added. "I just want to focus on the next two years, take things one step at a time and try to contribute (back to Malaysian cycling) as much as I can." The two-time Olympic keirin medallist is no stranger to making comebacks. He underwent open heart surgery in 2022 to correct a coronary artery anomaly he had suffered from since birth. Azizulhasni came back stronger than ever, winning two gold medals at the Asian Championships in Nilai in 2023 and broke the national 200m record a number of times in the lead up to the Paris Games.
New Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
NSI will continue to power Pocket Rocketman
KUALA LUMPUR: The Pocket Rocketman will continue to be "fuelled" by the National Sports Institute (NSI). Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, who is now a professional track cyclist, will receive financial backing from NSI when representing Malaysia at major multi-sport events. NSI chief executive officer Dr P. Vellapandian said that the 2017 keirin world champion remains eligible for support from NSI though he is no longer part of the national programme. "We will continue to support Azizulhasni as a professional rider, but there are a few considerations," said Vellapandian today. "He will receive the same level of support he had as a national team member only when he represents Malaysia at major multi-sport events, such as the Asian Games. "If he competes in tournaments outside the National Sports Council's (NSC) programme, we will discuss with national cycling technical director, John Beasley, and Azizulhasni himself to assess his requirements. "We will not deny him assistance simply because he has turned professional. Our support will depend on the feedback we receive from them." Azizulhasni, 37, had planned to retire from track cycling following the Paris Olympics. However, his failure to win gold after being disqualified in the first round for overtaking the derny reignited his ambition to continue racing. Last month, he announced that he would train and compete independently as a professional cyclist.
New Straits Times
21-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Azizulhasni does not need a full-time coach anymore, says director
KUALA LUMPUR: National cycling programme technical director John Beasley is confident that track cycling great Azizulhasni Awang does not need a full-time coach at this stage of his career. Despite hinting at retirement after the Paris Olympics, Azizulhasni last week announced that he has decided to continue racing, albeit as an independent rider. He will, however, still have access to support from the national team setup and can train with them when he is in Malaysia. Azizulhasni said he will likely be dividing his time between Malaysia and Melbourne, Australia where he is studying. His family is also based there. Beasley, who has coached Azizulhasni for almost two decades, said training on his own in Melbourne should not be an issue for the 37-year-old. "He is incredibly self-driven and disciplined so it should be no problem," said Beasley recently. "He definitely does not need a coach to whip him and do the session. "He is highly motivated and is usually one of the first ones there at training sessions. He does all his stretching and warm-ups early. "All the riders have power metres on their bikes. The data (from metres) can be shared, so we can analyse his numbers from here. "He can also train with athletes from the Victorian Institute of Sport or other quality athletes in Melbourne. "He still wants me to draw up his training plans for him as I have been doing it for many years now. I will let Harnizam Basri (national head coach) roll out the programme for him when he is training here (Malaysia)." The national elite track squad had been based in Melbourne for over a decade before the National Velodrome in Nilai was completed in 2017. The Youth and Sports Ministry, via the National Sports Council (NSC), have given Azizulhasni an RM200,000 grant to help cover some of his training, equipment and competition costs for a period of two years. In return, he is expected to represent the country at the Nagoya Asian Games next year.
Malay Mail
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
MNCF open to providing equipment support for ‘Pocket Rocketman' in new professional cycling journey
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) is always open to supporting national track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang should he require any assistance to compete in international championships. Its president, Datuk Amarjit Singh, said the federation has no issue providing the necessary equipment needed by Azizulhasni, who has just turned professional. 'If Datuk Azizul wants to use the bicycle, that is not going to be much of a problem. He also has his own bicycle, but if he wishes to use one provided by MNCF, we have no objection. 'We are willing to ensure that he will be given the relevant equipment and resources to help him train for the championships he wants to compete in,' he told reporters at the MNCF Hari Raya Open House yesterday. Amarjit assures The Pocket Rocketman that the federation would continue to support his participation in international events. Last Saturday, Azizulhasni announced his decision to turn professional and continue racing for the next two years under Team Azizul, following a RM200,000 individual grant awarded by the National Sports Council (NSC) until 2026. Among the Key Performance Indicators set by the NSC for the 37-year-old are preparations for the 2026 Asian Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Following his decision, Azizulhasni said he still has his own selection of bicycles, but the best one for him remains the WX-R Vortex, which he used at the Paris Olympics last year. However, he said it would be up to the NSC and MNCF to decide whether to allow him to use that bicycle for training and competitions, given his new status as a professional. — Bernama
Barnama
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
MNCF Open To Supporting Azizulhasni With Equipment
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) is always open to supporting national track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang should he require any assistance to compete in international championships. Its president, Datuk Amarjit Singh, said the federation has no issue providing the necessary equipment needed by Azizulhasni, who has just turned professional. 'If Datuk Azizul wants to use the bicycle, that is not going to be much of a problem. He also has his own bicycle, but if he wishes to use one provided by MNCF, we have no objection. bootstrap slideshow 'We are willing to ensure that he will be given the relevant equipment and resources to help him train for the championships he wants to compete in,' he told reporters at the MNCF Hari Raya Open House yesterday. Amarjit assures The Pocket Rocketman that the federation would continue to support his participation in international events. Last Saturday, Azizulhasni announced his decision to turn professional and continue racing for the next two years under Team Azizul, following a RM200,000 individual grant awarded by the National Sports Council (NSC) until 2026. Among the Key Performance Indicators set by the NSC for the 37-year-old are preparations for the 2026 Asian Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Following his decision, Azizulhasni said he still has his own selection of bicycles, but the best one for him remains the WX-R Vortex, which he used at the Paris Olympics last year. However, he said it would be up to the NSC and MNCF to decide whether to allow him to use that bicycle for training and competitions, given his new status as a professional.
