KUALA LUMPUR – National cycling champion Datuk Azizulhasni Awang has time and again proven that he remains one of the country’s top world-class athletes, even after nearly two decades of service.
As the most seasoned athlete set to compete in the Paris Olympics in July, he boldly declared his desire again to clinch a gold medal at the sporting event, even though the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Olympic Council of Malaysia have yet to make any official announcements.
It takes great courage for a 36-year-old with a history of heart problems to pursue the dream shared by 33 million Malaysians – winning the country’s first gold medal at the Olympics.
Throughout his journey, Azizulhasni has faced numerous challenges that have shaped him into a world-class athlete.
From having his foot pierced by a wooden stake during a race to risking expulsion from the sports village for supporting Palestine during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and ultimately becoming the world keirin champion in 2017, each obstacle has contributed to the story of this Dungun-born elite athlete.
Therefore, he exemplifies the qualities that distinguish an athlete and elevates them to the status of a world-class competitor.
“I believe all athletes can have the discipline, spirit, and goals to win gold medals, but the significant difference is the mentality that distinguishes you as a national athlete from a world-class athlete.
“For example, you wake up early and go to practice for a high-intensity session. An athlete with a high-performance mentality will tackle that training session every day, giving 100% effort.
“Last Ramadan, my teammates and I continued our training as usual while fasting, but we approached it as if we were in a race, you can ask John (Beasley) about this.
“Even in the following weeks, when we were fatigued, we still gave our all in training sessions. There’s no concept of slowing down our training intensity, so I think that’s what world-class athletes do.
“As a world-class athlete, you must be prepared for all possibilities because the journey will not be as easy as you think. There will be various possibilities and many struggles even though you plan meticulously, including plans A, B, and C.
“But the reality is not like that. In sports, one plus one may not necessarily equal two.
“For example, I trained hard and was suddenly diagnosed with heart disease, and after surgery, there was suddenly pericarditis (a bacterial infection in the heart).
“The journey will not always be smooth, and you need to have strong mental fortitude to face all of this. The key is to keep striving, believe in the process, and success may well be on your side,” said Azizulhasni.
Azizulhasni had already won a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, but in the following edition in Tokyo, he had to accept defeat after Great Britain’s Jason Kenny’s unconventional tactics thwarted his quest for gold in the final keirin race.
Should he win the elusive gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where he will compete for the fifth and final time in his career, it would mark the end of Malaysia’s 68-year wait since its debut at the sporting event in 1956 in Melbourne. – May 13, 2024