Beasley Confident Azizulhasni Will Make Comeback Next Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- National track cycling programme technical director, John Beasley, expressed his confidence that track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang will be back in the saddle next year.

Beasley said it would be a significant boost for the national track cycling team if the two-time Olympic medallist, widely known as the Pocket Rocketman, chose to continue his cycling career.

"I think it's a really good thing. We had a strong feeling that he probably would make a comeback.

"But we just need to give him some time to reflect, evaluate what has happened, and then move forward from there," he said when met recently.

Previously, media outlets reported that the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) and the National Sports Council (NSC) had agreed to retain Mohd Azizulhasni in next year’s Podium Programme, but on the condition that the 36-year-old rider qualified for the 2025 UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile, in October 2025.

Hence, the NSC had given the MNCF until Dec 31 to confirm the Olympian's participation in the Podium Programme next year.

Meanwhile, Beasley expressed concerns about Malaysia's track cycling development, highlighting the challenges of having few elite riders and limited facilities to develop young talent.

He added that the situation worsened after track cycling was not included in the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) in Sarawak.

"I have been told that the next one (SUKMA) in Selangor, they're up in the air whether they are going to host cycling track or not.

"If there's no track cycling in SUKMA, we get no fee. So this is the system we're stuck under," he said.

-- BERNAMA