NILAI: Azizulhasni Awang lived up to his The Pocket Rocketman moniker when he rode brilliantly to deliver the individual sprint gold medal at the Asian Championships in Nilai on Friday (June 16) night.
The 35-year-old, who had corrective heart surgery last year, rose to the occasion to beat Ota Kaiya of Japan in two final heats at the National Velodrome to regain the sprint title he last won in South Korea in 2020.
It is the first gold medal for Malaysia in the elite ranks of the Asian meet.
The Asian championships did not take place in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Azizul did not take part in the 2022 edition in New Delhi as he was recuperating from surgery.
He had earlier beaten defending sprint champion Kento Yamasaki of Japan in two heats to reach the final.
Ota, the bronze medallist in the Track Nations Cup leg in Cairo earlier this year, overcame his Japanese teammate Kohei Terasaki in two heats.
It is the 11th career Asian championships title for Azizul.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist cyclist has a day of rest before he returns for the keirin race alongside fellow Malaysian Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom.
