Azizulhasni Awang

Oleh Meor Hisham Zulkifli
sham@bharian.com.my

AZIZULHASNI (kiri) dan Josiah menunjukkan pingat perak dan gangsa yang mereka raih di Kejohanan Berbasikal Trek Klasik Piala Dunia UCI, di Melbourne, Australia semalam.

Raih perak acara keirin Piala Dunia UCI selepas gagal menyerlah di Manchester

JAGUH lumba basikal negara, Azizulhasni Awang mempamer kayuhan cemerlang apabila menduduki tempat kedua dalam acara keirin kegemarannya di Kejohanan Berbasikal Trek Klasik Piala Dunia UCI, di Melbourne, Australia semalam.

Azizulhasni yang menyarung jersi Bike Technologies Australia (BTA), meraih pingat perak dalam perlumbaan lapan pusingan itu di belakang pelumba Jerman, Carsten Bergemann manakala seorang lagi pelumba negara, Josiah Ng mendapat gangsa.

Kejayaan berkenaan meletakkan jagoan kelahiran Terengganu itu di ranking ketiga dunia selepas mengumpul 10 mata ketika Josiah berada di tangga kelima dunia dengan lapan mata selepas dua siri perlumbaan.

Carsten kini berkongsi kedudukan di ranking pertama dunia acara keirin selepas mengumpul 12 mata bersama jaguh keirin dunia, Chris Hoy yang meraih emas dalam kejohanan siri yang sama di Manchester, awal bulan ini.

Mengulas kejayaan itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Berbasikal Trek Persatuan Berbasikal Kebangsaan Malaysia (MNCF), Datuk Naim Mohamad, berkata keputusan yang diraih Azizulhasni nyata melegakan.

"Selepas di Manchester, kami agak gusar terutama selepas dia gagal menyerlah gara-gara demam tetapi kali ini, kami tetap berpuas hati walaupun dia meraih pingat perak. Ini membuktikan dia mampu terus memberikan saingan.

"Kehadiran Josiah yang berada di tempat ketiga turut menggembirakan kerana ini dapat membantu melonjakkan saingan negara selain memberikan peluang cerah untuk Malaysia meraih pingat pada Sukan Asia dan Komanwel kelak," katanya.

Dua lagi siri perlumbaan Piala Dunia ini akan diadakan di Cali, Columbia pada 10 hingga 12 Disember ini dan di China pada Januari depan, namun tumpuan Azizulhasni hanya kepada saingan di Beijing saja selepas ini.

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Oleh Aida Adilah Mat
aida@hmetro.com.my

TURUN di Voledrom Hisense Arena sebagai pelumba pilihan, Azizulhasni Awang menampil kayuhan bertenaga dalam usahanya merangkul emas pertama buat negara menerusi acara keirin di Kejohanan Piala Dunia Klasik Siri II di Melbourne, semalam.

Bagaimanapun, hasratnya itu dinafikan pelumba Jerman, Carsten Bergemann yang meraih emas dengan dua pelumba negara - Azizul serta Josiah Ng - masing-masing terpaksa berpuas hati dengan perak dan gangsa apabila menduduki tempat kedua dan ketiga.

Pingat perak itu bagaimanapun disifatkan sebagai permulaan baik buat Azizul sebagai bekalan untuk layak beraksi di Kejohanan Dunia di Copenhagen, Denmark, Mac ini.

Azizul yang turun bersama pasukan kelab BTA dari Australia itu dilihat berpeluang cerah merangkul emas, sekali gus mengulangi pencapaian tahun lalu, tapi asakan sengit pelumba dari Australia, Shane Perkins di selekoh terakhir, menggagalkan impiannya itu.

sebenarnya yakin untuk meraih emas. Tapi mungkin tiada rezeki saya kali ini apabila saya dihimpit Perkins di selekoh terakhir itu sekali gus menyukarkan saya untuk membuat pecutan.

“Saya cuba juga meloloskan diri daripada himpitan itu, tapi sudah terlambat untuk memintas Bergemann. Apapun saya tetap gembira dengan perak ini,” kata Azizul yang menjelaskan sekiranya menang emas, dia pasti akan menjadi pendahulu senarai kedudukan pelumba bagi acara keirin Piala Dunia.

Taktik kotor yang dipamerkan Perkins itu akhirnya memakan dirinya sendiri apabila penyertaannya dibatalkan.

Sementara itu, tiada pencapaian yang dapat dibanggakan menerusi dua pelumba negara - Akmal Amrun dan Muhammad Syamil Bahrum - yang turut beraksi semalam.

Akmal gagal dalam acara akhir scratch apabila menduduki tempat ke-12 manakala Syamil menghuni tempat tercorot 1 kilometer ujian masa.

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: German cyclist Carsten Bergemann spoiled what could have turned out to be an historic one-two finish for Malaysia in the keirin final of the Track World Cup at the Hisense Arena in Melbourne last night.

But it was still a glorious day when Azizul Hasni Awang and Josiah Ng came away with the silver and bronze medals as two Malaysians rode in a World Cup final race for the first time.

After the disappointment of the opening round in Manchester, Azizul got his act right in Melbourne to secure his first World Cup medal for the year.

Seasoned campaigner Josiah also showed flashes of the form which took him to the Athens Olympic final in 2004 when he secured his first World Cup medal in three years.

Winners: Azizul and Josiah posing with their World Cup medals after the keirin event

Both Azizul and Josiah qualified automatically into the second round after finishing second in their heats.

Azizul, riding for Australian trade team BT Technologies, turned on the power to storm into the final as the winner of the second round heat ahead of Australia’s Shane Perkins and China’s Tang Qi.

Josiah just pulled through to the top six final after finishing third behind Bergemann and New Zealand’s Simon Van Velthooven.

Although the Terengganu-born Azizul failed in his bid to defend the title he won at the same venue 12 months ago, it was still a well-executed comeback effort from him.

The 21-year-old had targeted the keirin in Manchester but lost out in the first round where he was relegated for an infringement.

Azizul subsequently failed to make it through the repechage, riding unprepared after a miscommunication with the race official.

Josiah, who shut out British rider Matthew Crampton, the World Cup silver medal winner in Manchester in the second round to qualify for the final, was delighted with his form coming after just five weeks of training.

“I finished ahead of so many good riders and this is my first World Cup medal after so long.

“There is a big team of younger Malaysian riders training together and this is helping me to keep my level up. It’s the first time we have two Malaysians winning medals and I feel like there’s still a lot more to come,” said the 29-year-old Josiah in a telephone interview from Melbourne.

Azizul and Josiah will return to the venue for the 200m sprint qualification rounds today.

Malaysia’s Akmal Amrun failed to qualify for the men’s 15km scratch final after finishing 12th in his qualifying heat earlier.

The top 10 riders from each of the two heats advanced to the final.

Meanwhile, 2007 Asian junior champion Mohd Syamil Bahrum capped his World Cup debut by finishing 13th in the 1km time trial with a personal best time of 1:05.827.

Australian trade team rider Scott Sunderland took gold in 1:02.171.