HULU SELANGOR – What’s next for Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang?
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh is set to meet with the national track cycling ace today to discuss his future and career direction.
Hannah shared that Azizulhasni, known as the ‘Pocket Rocketman,’ had previously met with the National Sports Council (NSC) and that they had a brief discussion during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, at the time, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist indicated he needed space and time to reflect.
“I’m not sure what will be discussed today, but I come with an open heart because he is an athlete who has given so much to the country.
“I want to see how we can continue to support him,” Hannah said after officiating the opening and closing of the NSC-Yayasan MySkills Sports Clinic at the MySkills Campus in Kalumpang today, Bernama reported.
Last December, the 37-year-old said he would meet with the minister before making a decision on his future.
Earlier, Azizulhasni confirmed he will not be competing in the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC 2025) to be held at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, from February 21 to 27.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of returning to competition.
Meanwhile, Hannah highlighted that 120 at-risk youths are currently receiving skills training at MySkills Campus but noted they have limited exposure to sports activities.
“That’s why the NSC came here today with National Hockey Development Programme (NHDP) and athletics coaches to identify talent. This will be done periodically,” she said.
She added that she has allocated RM50,000 from the minister’s special fund to support sports development at MySkills Foundation and sought assistance from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and the National Sports Institute (NSI) Satellite Centre to help the youths with strength and conditioning training. — February 17, 2025