KUALA LUMPUR – National track cycling icon Datuk Azizulhasni Awang is leaving his Olympic future in the hands of the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) and National Sports Council (NSC), saying a decision is needed soon on whether Malaysia still wants him for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The 38-year-old said preparations for the Olympics could not be left until the last minute, particularly with the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai scheduled back-to-back.
“For me, right now, I’m waiting for a decision from KBS and NSC. Do they still need my services? Because I believe this time, it’s not about whether I want to go to the Olympics. It’s about whether the Malaysian team and the country still need me.
“We are now in a very critical situation when it comes to Olympic qualification, and that is why they need to make a decision as quickly as possible. If my services are needed, then I need to know so that I can plan the next part of my journey,” he told reporters at the Majlis Datuk Persekutuan Malaysia (MDPM) appreciation dinner for the 2026 Commonwealth Games medallists at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) yesterday.
Azizulhasni said he would need to travel directly to Shanghai for the World Championships after the Asian Games, leaving little room for the authorities to delay a decision.
“If they want to wait until after the Asian Games, the truth is that we need to know before the Asian Games because we have to plan the journey, especially when the schedule is back-to-back.
“Imagine having to go from the Commonwealth Games to the Asian Games, and then, two weeks later, to the World Championships. So, it is very critical for a decision to be made,” he said.
He said the first World Championships of the Olympic qualification cycle would be particularly important as it offers some of the biggest points over the two-season qualification period.
“If we miss the first World Championships, which offer the biggest points, the journey is not impossible, but it will become more difficult. It means we will have to be consistently on the podium.
“For individual qualification, roughly 30 riders will make the cut. So, if we want to have a good chance of qualifying for the Olympics, we have to be among the best riders in the world and collect points throughout the two seasons,” he said.
Azizulhasni is scheduled to leave for Brisbane, Australia, on Thursday for a training camp of more than four weeks with the national squad before heading to Japan for the Asian Games.
However, he has yet to confirm whether he will continue to Shanghai for the World Championships.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, while the 2026 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai are scheduled for October 14 to 18.
Earlier, MDPM honoured Malaysia’s Commonwealth Games medallists at the appreciation dinner, with RM100,000 in incentives contributed by 12 sponsors. – August 19, 2026