A golden opening

Shot in the arm: Azizulhasni Awang will need to focus on his own racing and be ready for whoever lines up alongside him.

TRACK cyclist Azizulhasni Awang’s chances of winning gold in his Asian Games farewell appearance received a boost with the surprise omission of Japan’s top sprinter Kaiya Ota from the keirin competition.

Ota, who is ranked fourth in the world currently, is sitting out the keirin event at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka.