Sports

Monday November 2, 2009

Cyclist Azizul bounces back in style at International Keirin race

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top track cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang bounced back in spectacular fashion by grabbing a bronze medal in the International Keirin Race held alongside the Track World Cup meet in Manchester yesterday.

Azizul put up a blistering charge to win his first round heat comprising six other top riders.

The 21-year-old Malaysian subsequently reached the final after finishing third behind British rider Matthew Crampton and Australian Shane Perkins.

Azizul Hasni Awang: Redeemed his pride after a disastrous campaign in the 200m sprint and keirin at the World Cup.

And in the top six final, Azizul was nicked to the silver by Christos Volikakis of Greece with Crampton successfully defending the title he won last year.

Beijing Olympic silver medallist Jason Kenny won the B final.

By virtue of finishing third in the prestigious race, which is organised by the Japan Keirin Association, Azizul collected a handsome cheque of ‚10,000.

Azizul, riding for Australian trade team BT Technologies, was the only Malaysian rider invited by the international cycling body (UCI) to make up the international field of 14 riders to take on the best of seven Japanese.

But money aside, the World Championships silver medallist enjoyed the satisfaction of redeeming his pride after a disastrous campaign in the 200m sprint and keirin at the World Cup.

He was eliminated early in the keirin and just missed out on the top 16 of the knockout stages of the 200m sprint.

World Junior Championships bronze medallist Adiq Husainie Othman raised a stir when he qualified second fastest for the men’s 15km scratch final.

Adiq went on to finish 11th in the final out of 12 riders and it was the best finish by a Malaysian in the track endurance event at the world level.

In the team sprint, Malaysian trio of Mohd Edrus Yunos, Hafiz Sufian and Hariff Saleh finished 16th in 47.364.

Fatehah Mustapa finished 16th with 36.942 in the women’s 500m time trial.

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