Cyclist with a big heart

Good times: Reunion with Gregory Bauge, who is now serving as the French sprint coach, back in 2022.

Good times: Reunion with Gregory Bauge, who is now serving as the French sprint coach, back in 2022.

How Azizul defied size, setbacks and time to become Malaysia’s greatest rider

IT was the 2023 Asian Championships and Malaysian cyclist Azizulhasni Awang won two gold medals.

And in that moment, in my mind, Azizul sealed his place as a sporting legend of the country.

The victory itself was a feat that the country could be proud of but what made it extraordinary was that Azizul had just recovered from a heart surgery.

As a sports journalist, I have followed his journey for 20 years, and the boy from Dungun, Terengganu, has never failed to amaze me.

He has gone through so much, and I really thought it was over for him after he underwent open-heart surgery.

Yet, he came back and won two gold medals at that Asian Championships, proving everyone wrong, including me.

It was in 2009 that the track cycling world first took notice of this diminutive Malaysian.

At the time, Malaysia did not even have an indoor velodrome, now a basic requirement for hosting major competitions.

Yet Azizul had already built a fearsome reputation on the Australian domestic circuit, where he had been based since 2007.

It was there that a broadcaster coined the nickname “Pocket Rocketman” – a moniker that has stayed with him ever since.

At the World Championships in Poland, French powerhouse Gregory Bauge had to dig deep to fend off the surprise challenge of the little-known Malaysian to retain the coveted sprint title.

Moments after the race, Bauge admitted he had known little about Azizul before the final but walked away with immense respect after one of the toughest battles of his career.

Back then, cycling rarely made the back pages of Malaysian newspapers. That changed when pioneers like Josiah Ng and Azizul began making their mark on the world stage.

Azizul’s fearless charge to the sprint final in Poland convinced many that Malaysia was witnessing the rise of a once-in-a-generation athlete.

A year earlier, he made his Olympic debut in Beijing, reaching the sprint quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion Chris Hoy of Britain.

Defeat did not discourage him. Instead, Azizul confidently told this writer that his time on the biggest stage would come.

It arrived sooner than expected. Just three months after the Beijing Olympics, he captured his first major international title by winning the keirin at the World Cup in Melbourne.

Azizul would go on to collect seven World Championship medals, highlighted by his historic keirin gold in Hong Kong in 2017.

He also etched his name into Olympic history by winning bronze in the keirin at Rio 2016 before upgrading to silver in Tokyo five years later, proving once and for all that size is no barrier to greatness.

Yet beyond the medals and titles, Azizul’s greatest legacy may well be the example he has set through resilience, discipline and unwavering patriotism.

His career has shown Malaysians that perseverance can triumph over even the toughest odds.

At 38, he refused to let age or adversity define him. Four years after undergoing corrective heart surgery, he produced one of the finest tactical rides of his career to win the keirin when Nilai hosted a World Cup round three months ago.

With reigning Olympic champion Harrie Lavreysen in the field, Azizul looked out of contention as he sat second last in the six-man pack.

But, spurred on by a deafening home crowd that included his mother, he timed his charge to perfection to snatch a memorable victory.

It was his second successive World Cup keirin gold after triumphing in Perth the previous month.

“Unbelievable, it is just unbelievable. I was banging my head after crossing the finish line to make sure I wasn’t dreaming,” said Azizul.

“To be honest, it is never easy racing in front of your home crowd because there is so much pressure. But I managed it by drawing on my 20 years of experience at the highest level.

“Age is just a number. It’s about mentality and heart. If we truly want something, we can achieve it.

“To still be competing at this level at 38 is not easy, but I proved that I can do it.

“I’m also grateful to the Malaysian media, especially The Star, for documenting my journey throughout the years.”