Malaysia’s cycling icon, Azizulhasni Awang, also known as the pocket rocketman, pulled off a stunning victory at the UCI Track World Cup, beating world champion Harrie Lavreysen in the keirin final at the National Velodrome of Malaysia.
The 38-year-old secured his second gold medal in the keirin series this season, after previously winning the Perth round in Australia.
Lavreysen had to settle for second place, while Nicholas Paul completed the podium in third.
Winning on home ground comes with pressure
According to Kosmo!, Azizulhasni admitted after the race that competing in front of a home crowd wasn’t as easy as it looked.
Honestly, racing on home ground isn’t easy because of the pressure and expectations. But Alhamdulillah, with nearly 20 years of experience at the highest level, I used it to stay focused,” he said.
He added that he approached the race step by step from the morning session, treating the final as a special moment with his family present.
For me, tonight is truly special, competing at home in front of my family, my wife and children. My mother is here too,” he shared.
A bold move at the final bend
During the final, Azizulhasni took a patient approach, waiting for the perfect moment before making his move.
That moment came at the final bend, where he spotted a narrow gap and made a daring attack that caught his rivals off guard.
The move paid off as he sprinted past the frontrunners at just the right time, sealing a dramatic win.
I saw that gap at the right moment and used my experience to go through before sprinting as hard as I could to the finish line,” he said.
“Even I find it hard to believe, but with the support of the crowd and confidence, I proved that we can achieve something unexpected.”
Sprint event up next
Despite the big win, Azizulhasni isn’t slowing down just yet.
He still has the individual sprint event coming up, where he previously won bronze during the Perth round.
However, recovery from his recent open heart surgery remains his main concern.
I’m not sure how I’ll be tomorrow. It depends on whether I can get enough sleep tonight,” he admitted.
“Honestly, I also had trouble sleeping before the sprint event in Perth. After this, I still need to go through doping tests and other matters, so I might only get home late.”
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