Coach Harnizam Pleased With ATC 2025 Results, Eyes Bigger Challenges

NILAI, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s elite track cycling squad ended their 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ATC) campaign on a high, bringing home a total of 10 medals - two gold, four silver and four bronze.

This achievement surpasses their performance at last year’s edition in New Delhi, India, where the team secured seven medals (two gold, two silver and three bronze).

Adding to the excitement, the national riders shattered one Asian record and three national records across multiple events, women’s 1-kilometre (KM) time trial, women’s individual sprint and women’s team sprint.

National track cycling head coach Mohd Harnizam Basri expressed his delight with the team’s overall performance, especially since this marks his first year leading the squad.

However, he said that there is still plenty of room for improvement as the team shifts gears towards bigger challenges ahead, including the SEA Games in Thailand later this year, as well as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year.

“Overall, I’m happy with the team’s performance at ATC 2025. But we’re still fine-tuning things, testing different strategies to find the best approach moving forward.

“What we’re working on now is all about discovering the positives as we prepare for the SEA Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games,” he told reporters at the meet venue at the National Velodrome here today.

On the incredible form of Malaysia’s sprint queen, Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, Harnizam had nothing but praise for the young star from Sungai Petani, Kedah.

The coaching team is now planning a specialised training programme to enhance her muscle development, allowing her to generate even more explosive power in future competitions.

“Izzah is the complete package when it comes to acceleration but she lacks muscle mass. To generate maximum power, this is crucial, and that’s something we’ll be focusing on for her moving forward,” he added.

Nurul Izzah did exceptionally well at ATC 2025, bagging two gold, one silver and one bronze, while setting both national and Asian records in the individual sprint, team sprint and 1KM time trial.

--BERNAMA