Kuala lumpur: 'I cannot even fill one shoe of his, let alone two.' That was the comment from former national cycling legend Josiah Ng for his long-time training partner, Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, following the latter's historic 16-year wait for a Keirin gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, early this morning. Josiah, who witnessed Azizulhasni's 16-year journey of pain and redemption, described the 38-year-old as a 'once-in-a-lifetime athlete' whose mental fortitude is unmatched in the world of sports.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Josiah revealed a side of 'The Pocket Rocketman' that many fans may not see, which is a relentless competitive spirit that even extends to casual games like bowling. "He has the strongest mentality. If we go play bowling or whatever the game is, he'll get last place. Then I will challenge him and put money on it; I'd say, 'Okay, you beat me the next game, I give you 20 euros,' because we always did our training camps in Europe. And then the next game, he will win. The mindset of Mohd Azizulhasni is so strong. I always lost money to him whenever I challenged him, so I never challenge him anymore. Whatever he puts his mind to, he will accomplish," Josiah said.
Reflecting on the emotional victory at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Josiah admitted the victory was a full-circle moment for both, dating back to the 2010 New Delhi edition where Mohd Azizulhasni was disqualified after crossing the line first, which subsequently he won the gold. "I had tears with him. This is the most emotional result of his career, even more than the Olympics because there was more pain. This is 16 years of pain for him. I was there at his first Commonwealth Games where we crossed the line first and second. We were celebrating, and then five minutes later, they took it away from him. Today, he was like a superhero. No one even came close to even his back wheel; he was a class above. When he realised what he accomplished, he just cried like a baby and I was feeling the emotion with him. I know exactly how he feels," he added.
When asked if younger Malaysian cyclists like Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom could ever reach Mohd Azizulhasni's heights, Josiah was candid about the legend's unique standing in the sport. "Mohd Azizulhasni is a giant. He inspires tens of millions of Malaysians and even the international riders. I don't think anyone will compare themselves to him. Impossible. Impossible," he said.
Despite Azizulhasni saying that Glasgow 2026 would be his last Commonwealth Games, Josiah is convinced the veteran will pursue his "unfinished business" for an Olympic gold, stating: "I believe he's going to the next Olympics, and the way he is riding now, I believe he'll do it."
Meanwhile, national para cycling coach and former national rider Mohd Rizal Tisin echoed similar sentiments, describing Azizulhasni's ability to produce a world-class performance at the age of 38 as truly extraordinary. "We are proud as Malaysians. He sets the best example for young athletes that fighting spirit knows no age. His journey has been a long one, but it is his unwavering motivation that has brought him to this level," he said.
Commenting on the 16-year wait since the disappointment at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, Rizal described the victory as a "miracle" born of hard work. "Sixteen years is a long time. It took him four Commonwealth Games appearances to finally reclaim that gold medal. It is something truly extraordinary. Although the Olympic Games have always been his main target, winning Commonwealth gold was a dream he dearly wanted to fulfil before retiring," he said.
Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli described the gold medal as the crowning achievement of Mohd Azizulhasni's career and said the victory was highly significant for the Malaysian contingent, despite the Commonwealth Games competition attracting less attention from some of the world's top riders. Pekan also said producing a sporting gem like Mohd Azizulhasni takes many years, drawing comparisons with Malaysia's struggle to find successors to legends such as Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei in badminton and Datuk Nicol David in squash. "We cannot expect to produce another sporting gem on par with our previous legends in a short period. Mohd Azizulhasni possesses exceptional qualities that other riders simply do not have. No matter how much we train, there is no guarantee we can produce someone with his natural talent," he said.
Earlier, in the men's keirin final, Mohd Azizulhasni, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist, produced a powerful ride to beat Australia's Leigh Hoffman and England's Harry Ledingham-Horn, who took the silver and bronze medals, respectively. For the record, Mohd Azizulhasni, who was making his fourth Commonwealth Games appearance, previously won bronze medals in the team sprint at the 2010 New Delhi Games and the keirin at the 2014 Glasgow Games. The victory also delivered Malaysia's seventh gold medal at Glasgow 2026 and the national track cycling team's first gold medal of this edition of the Games.