NILAI, June 10 — Johor rider Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom denied the strong challenge from track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang to top the men’s elite keirin event at the 2026 National Track Cycling Championship today.
Although Azizulhasni tried to make a last-second sprint, Firdaus remained calm with his pedalling and crossed the finish line to claim gold in the competition held at the National Velodrome.
The silver medal was won by Azizulhasni, representing Team Azizul, while the bronze went to Muhammad Fadhil Mohd Zonis from Selangor.
Firdaus said he only sprinted in the final lap and felt relieved to stop Azizulhasni’s advance, returning to the top of the podium after last winning the national championship in the 2022 edition.
"In the first two laps I held the speed, but when the bell rang I went full gas… Alhamdulillah (God be praised), I managed to take number one," he told the media after the race.
Meanwhile, Azizulhasni acknowledged Firdaus' excellence even though he had done his best in the final race of his favourite event.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic men's keirin silver medalist also congratulated Firdaus and was pleased to see his competitor regain form ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games is scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2, while the 2026 Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4.
Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri demonstrated her mastery in the women's elite keirin event to bring home gold for Kedah.
She defeated Nur Alyssa Mohd Farid from Johor, who took silver, while Team Cahya Mata Anis rider Amira Rosidi had to settle for bronze.
Satisfied with today’s success, Izzah hopes to maintain her momentum when competing in the sprint event tomorrow.
The four-day competition, which started yesterday, will draw to a close on Friday (June 12).
