KUALA LUMPUR – National track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang has confirmed that he will not be participating in the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC), set to take place at the National Velodrome in Nilai in February.
However, the cyclist, widely known as the Pocket Rocketman, assured that he would still attend the championship to support and assist the national cyclists.
“It’s time for me to offer moral support and contribute in any other way I can,” he said.
“As I mentioned after the Olympic baton was passed, we now have Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, his brother Muhammad Ridwan, as well as Fadhil Zhonis, and other promising young cyclists.
“I hope that they will continue to progress, as they prepare for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and eventually the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” he added, when met recently.
Last month, Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill hinted that the 36-year-old athlete might still participate in the 2025 ACC.
He mentioned that the former world keirin champion remains in a competitive mindset, and still has the desire to ride.
However, Azizulhasni emphasised that his current priority is completing his Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, with just one year left before graduation.
While he has not ruled out a return to cycling, he has yet to set a specific time frame for his comeback.
“I met with the MNCF committee, and they encouraged me to participate in the Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. But I told them I can’t make any promises,” he explained.
“We’ll wait until 2024 is over, as it has been a challenging year. We’ll see what 2025 brings,” he added. – December 12, 2024