Youth and Sports Minister says the decision on Azizulhasni Awang’s LA28 Olympic bid is heading positively, with an announcement due after the Asiad.
THE decision on national track cycling star Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang’s bid to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28) is heading in a positive direction, said Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohamed Taufiq Johari.
He said intensive discussions between the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), National Sports Council (NSC) and Azizulhasni on the 38-year-old cyclist’s plans and journey towards LA28 are being held regularly.
He added that a final and official decision regarding Azizulhasni’s journey to LA28 would be announced after the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (from Sept 19-Oct 4), including details on the form of support to be provided to the cyclist.
“Discussions have been very positive, and we are moving towards achieving a very positive decision between KBS and Datuk Azizulhasni himself
“Very positive and any official and final decision will probably be announced after the Asiad,” he told reporters after attending the 2026 Selangor Malaysia Games (SUKMA) wushu competition here today.
Meanwhile, NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin said the ministry and NSC had committed to fully supporting whatever decision Mohd Azizulhasni, nicknamed The Pocket Rocketman, makes regarding whether to continue representing the country at LA28.
He said Mohd Azizulhasni’s name has also been included in the Olympic Pathway presented by the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) for elite athletes, which encompasses qualifying tournaments, starting with the World Championships through 2028.
“It is clear that the NSC and KBS fully support the Olympic Pathway that was presented to us by the coaches.
“This includes training camps that the team will undergo, championships they will compete in and assistance they require to enable them to collect qualifying points that will count towards the Olympic Games,” he said.
Jefri said the delay in making an official announcement regarding the matter was made at the request of Azizulhasni himself, as he wishes to complete his mission at the Asiad first.
“In terms of support, we will give him our 100 per cent. It’s just that Datuk Azizulhasni himself, during our meeting last week, requested us to delay any announcement until he has completed his Asiad mission.
“So, I feel that Datuk Azizulhasni is not worried about continuing his mission because the government, through KBS and NSC, always supports him fully,” said Jefri.
He said the NSC’s support for Mohd Azizulhasni also encompasses training programmes, exposure to competitions, support services from the National Sports Institute (NSI) and sufficient funding to enable him to continue his LA28 mission.
Jefri said the NSC is willing to provide Mohd Azizulhasni with the flexibility to determine his training base and preparation structure based on the approach and level of comfort that he feels would allow him to give his best.
“We saw how he won at the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, with the latter a tough one to win. So, it was a significant achievement for him and for us. We’ll leave it to him. Whatever he decides, whatever he wants, we will support him fully,” said Jefri.
On Tuesday (Aug 18), Mohd Azizulhasni said he was still waiting for an official decision from KBS and NSC on whether his services will be required as he continues his quest to qualify for LA28.
He said the decision was important not only in determining his plans after the Asian Games in Nagoya and Aichi, Japan, but also in allowing him to prepare for the Oct 14-18 World Championships in Shanghai, China, which will be one of the key Olympic qualifying events.
