BUKIT JALIL – National track cycling ace Datuk Azizulhasni Awang has decided to skip the Hangzhou Asian Games.
This decision comes after his high speed crash at the National Velodrome, in Nilai on Friday.
The 35-year-old was preparing ahead of the Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 26 to 29.
Azizulhasni said that even though he did not suffer any breaks or fractures, an ultrasound revealed that he had a lot of soft tissue damage.
He also revealed the extent of his injuries which include wounds to his left hand and hip.
“After the crash, I was rushed to the National Sports Institute (NSI) to meet with Dr Kamarul Hashimy Hussain and get treatment from his team. Then I went home.
“I was still optimistic that my condition would improve day by day but after five days I still felt sharp pain in my hip,” he said at a press conference at the National Sports Council today.
The decision to withdraw from the Asian Games was made following discussions with his coach John Beasley, and the NSI medical team.
Azizulhasni recognised that there were too many uncertainties if he were to compete in his current state.
So, he is putting all his attention on the upcoming Paris Olympics, which is just 322 days from now.
“I would also like to apologise to our Asian Games contingent and to the people of Malaysia who are hopeful to see me in action in Hangzhou.
“I am very disappointed but the focus now is to recover as quickly as I can and start training to prepare for next year,” he added.
Meanwhile, NSI director of sports medicine Dr Kamarul, said that because of the heavy impact, it not only caused soft tissue injuries but also bone and muscle contusions.
He explained that recovery times for bone contusions can vary widely.
“When there is a big impact like the one Azizulhasni suffered it will cause some minor internal bleeding.
“A bone contusion can take from two weeks to a few months to heal depending on the size of the injury,” he said.
Associate Prof Dr Farrah Hani Imran from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia also suggested that recovery times would be lengthy for an average person.
Dr Farrah, who is also the Hangzhou Asian Games deputy CDM, said that Azizulhasni has a bunch of friction burns and deep abrasions.
“This is a very serious injury, if it happens to a normal person it will take a long time to recover.
“This is a national athlete, mentally and physically he is one of the strongest among us.
“So for him to make this decision based on his abrasions, which go hand in hand with his other injuries, the decision to focus on the Paris Olympics is the best one,” she said. – September 20, 2023