Keep cool: Malaysia's Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom (right) and Japan's Shinji Nakano in action during the men's sprint quarter-finals race 2. - AFP
HANGZHOU: Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom brought cheers to the Malaysian cycling team when he contributed bronze in the men's sprint at Chun'an Jieshou Sports Velodrome on Thursday (Sept 28).
The 27-year-old romped to his first Asian Games medal in Hangzhou after beating China's Xue Chenxi in two heats in the ride for bronze.
Shah Firdaus, the flagbearer of the Malaysian contingent in the opening ceremony on Saturday, missed out on a chance to defend the gold won by Azizulhasni Awang at the last Asiad in Indonesia five years ago, when he was beaten in two heats by Zhou Yu of China.
Zhou Yu, who qualified fastest in the sprint qualification on Wednesday, failed in his bid to win the gold for China when he was lost in two heats to Kaiya Ota of Japan.
Shah Firdaus did well to eliminate another Japanese sprinter Shinji Nakano in the quarter-finals earlier to reach the medal rounds.
His younger brother Mohd Ridwan Sahrom's campaign ended at the last eight stage after losing in three heats to Zhou Yu.
Shah Firdaus and Mohd Fadhil Zonis will bid to end the track cycling team's campaign on a golden note when they compete in the men's keirin on Friday (Sept 29).
