Nur Azlia-Nurul on track to be first women cycling Paralympians

Jubilant: Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais (back) and Nurul Suhada Zainal picked up their second gold medal at the Asian Cycling Championship in Jakarta yesterday to put themselves in the driver’s seat for a slot to the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

PETALING JAYA: Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais and her able-bodied pilot Nurul Suhada Zainal are on course to make history as the first Malaysian representatives in women’s para cycling track competition at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Nur Azlia-Nurul brightened their chances to earn one of the three quota slots from Asia in track para cycling by bagging their second gold in the women's 3km (B) individual pursuit final at the Asian Cycling Championships in Jakarta yesterday.

Nur Azlia-Nurul proved too strong for Indonesian challengers Sri Sugiyanti-Magfiroh Nimal as they clocked 3:57.562 to nail what turned out to be the only gold of the day for Malaysia on the third day of competition.

Their Indonesian rivals settled for silver in the final with 4:02.918.

It was the second gold for Nur Azlia-Nurul as they won the women's (B) tandem sprint event on Thursday.

“Our aim now is to try get a slot for Tokyo Paralympics. We’re looking good to get a spot as the Asian championships offer good points for Tokyo Paralympics,” said former national cyclist Nurul, who was partnered with the visually impaired Nur Azlia last year.

“We need to do well in all our events as it will be combined to determine the three slots for Asia at the end of the qualification deadline next year.

“We beat the same pair to gold at the Asian Para Games, also in Indonesia, so we are happy to continue the good results.”

Nur Syahida Tajudin-Noraidillina Adilla J. Sam secured the bronze medal for Malaysia in the same event.

Aiman Asyraff Ahmad Bajuri and able-bodied pilot Nur Rizuan Zainal failed in their bid to earn a second gold for Malaysia in the men’s (B) 4km individual pursuit event when they were lapped by Japan’s Kazuhei Kimura-Takuto Kura­ba­yashi to settle for silver.

Meanwhile, there was no joy for Malaysia as medal hope Mohd Fadhil Zonis pulled out from the men’s elite 1km time trial after coming down with dengue fever.

Fadhil stood a chance to fight for gold in his pet event but he had to spend the night in hospital instead.

Fadhil rode with Azizulhasni Awang and Muhd Shah Firdaus Sahrom to take bronze in the team sprint on Wednesday – the first medal for Malaysia in the event in six years.

The women cyclists failed to step up to the challenge in the women’s elite sprint event as Fatehah Mustapa fell to a shock defeat by Indonesia’s Chrismonita Dwi Putri in the first round of the knockout stage. Farina Shawati Mohd Adnan also went out in the last 16 stage after losing to China’s Guo Yufang.

Azizul and Shah Firdaus will be out to restore Malaysia’s pride when they race in the sprint event over the next two days of competition.

Azizul will start as the reigning Asian Games champion in the event and will be looking to finish on the podium after placed fifth in the keirin on Thursday.