Azizulhasni, Ng sweep keirin gold and silver in Guangzhou Games
DYNAMIC DUO: Azizulhasni (top) and Ng celebrate their gold and silver medals respectively, after the men’s keirin race during track cycling in Guangzhou. — Reuters photo
GUANGZHOU, China: Track cyclist Mohd Azizulhasni Awang erased bitter memories of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games disappointment by racing away with the Asian Games Keirin gold at the Guangzhou Velodrome yesterday.
Azizulhasni, known as the ‘Pocket Rocketman’ among his peers, was disqualified after finishing first in New Delhi but there was no doubt on the winner yesterday, when he led a one-two finish for Malaysia in an incident filled race.
The Terengganu-born rider who led from the start, had conceded the lead to China’s Zhang Lei but seized the opportunity to regain the lead when Zhang Lei and Iran rider Mohamad Parash were involved in an accident as both went tumbling down.
Azizulhasni raced into the lead, followed by Josiah Ng (winner of the gold in New Delhi after Azzizulhasni’s disqualification) while Zhang Lei’s brother Zhang Miao took the bronze.
Both Azizulhasni and Ng teamed up to deny Zhang Miao any room for overtaking and held on until the finish line while Asian number one Kazunari Watanabe of Japan could only manage fourth place.
Kazunari who was the lone Japanese rider in the final could not apply any team tactics.
The win was also consolation for Azizulhasni who had earlier finished fourth in the race off for a bronze medal in the men’s 200m Sprint when beaten by Japan’s Nitta Yudai.
“I used wrong tactic when chasing Nitta in the early stages and could not match his burst of speed at the final stretch,” he told reporters here yesterday.
The gold and silver medal win also lifted the gloom surrounding the Malaysian camp since yesterday when there were no medals to show.
In another cycling event involving Malaysian riders, Muhamad Adiq Hussaine Othman failed in his bid to win a bronze in the men’s point race after finishing fourth behind Uzbekistan rider Vladimir Tuychiev (71 points), Hong Kong rider Wong Kam Po (60) and Iran’s Mehdi Sohrabi (60) with 56 points.
Track events which started on Saturday, ended yesterday while road races would be held over the weekend. — Bernama