KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill is keen to see national track cycling icon Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang extend his career to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28).
Amarjit said Azizulhasni’s recent performances at the Track Cycling World Cup 2026, held at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, which ended yesterday, underlined that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medallist remains competitive and capable of being a top performer.
Azizulhasni, nicknamed the Pocket Rocketman, made waves by winning the men’s keirin gold after defeating reigning world champion Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands in the final on April 25 before adding a bronze in the individual sprint last night.
“What I saw on Saturday just proved the point that he’s not over yet. Maybe he doesn’t want to say it openly or prefers to discuss it with his family first, but my instinct tells me that he still wants to go to LA28.
“I cannot speak for him, but I believe he still has the legs and the power. If that is the case, we should not deprive him of the opportunity, and MNCF should give him full support,” Amarjit said when met at the National Velodrome here last night.
He acknowledged that Malaysia’s pool of elite track cyclists remains limited, with much of the focus still centred on a small group of riders, particularly Azizulhasni and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom.
“We have to acknowledge that our pool of Olympian riders is still limited. While efforts are ongoing to broaden that base, Azizulhasni remains a key figure, alongside Shah Firdaus,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azizulhasni said his decision on LA28 is pending, stressing that his key considerations are funding, support, and time spent with his family.
“There are still many things I need to put into consideration, including funding. I don’t want to rely solely on the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) or the National Sports Council (MSN) and this needs to be discussed with sponsors.
“If I am to go to LA, I need to have strong sponsorship because I must make sure I have a good support system and a solid team with me. At this stage of my career, recovery is extremely important,” said the 38-year-old athlete.
Azizulhasni secured silver in the men’s keirin at Tokyo 2020, having earlier won bronze at Rio 2016.
The 2017 keirin world champion will shift his focus to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in July, followed by the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in September.
