ALL THAT GLITTERS IS A SILVER
Shah Firdaus wins the only medal for Malaysia at the Asian Championships
WITH an eye on the World Championships next month, national riders settled for a solitary silver in the keirin at the Asian Track Cycling Championships in Jakarta yesterday.
Shah Firdaus Sahrom finished second in the final behind Japan’s Yuta Wakimoto while third went to Tomoyuki Kawabata at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
Former world champion Azizulhasni Awang, who was forced to go through the repechage route to qualify for the decider, settled for fifth.
The final featured three riders from Japan, including Yuta and Tomoyuki, thus allowing them tactical dominance in the deciding race.
Azizulhasni, Shah and Fadhil Zonis had clinched bronze in the men’s team sprint on Wednesday.
The national elite squad are not in top form at the moment because they are preparing to peak at the world meet, which will be held in Pruszkow, Poland on Feb 27-March 3.
Meanwhile, the men’s junior keirin event witnessed Ridwan Sahrom and Fariz Haikal Kadir finishing out of the medals in fourth and fifth in their final.
National riders also did well in the para competition, winning four gold, two silver and one bronze.
Afiq Afify Rizan-Khairul Adha Rasol (pilot) as well as Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais-Nurul Suhada Zainal (pilot) delivered two gold in the men’s and women’s sprint (B) event.
Nur Faizah Aziz delivered the two other gold via the women’s individual pursuit (C3) and 500m time trial events.