Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill has described national track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom’s gold medal victory on Saturday as proof that he has now become the country’s top cyclist.
In a statement, Amarjit said the 29-year-old cyclist’s gold medal win in the keirin event at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Nations Cup in Konya, Turkiye also marked a breakthrough in overcoming the psychological barrier that had long held him back.
“For a long time, Muhammad Shah Firdaus was seen as the second cyclist behind Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang. Before Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni retired, all eyes were on him.
“So, psychologically, Muhammad Shah Firdaus felt like he was just a supporting rider to Azizulhasni. That’s why I believe this gold medal victory in Konya, Turkiye is very important for Muhammad Shah Firdaus’ confidence,” he said in the statement issued by MNCF on Sunday.
In Saturday’s race, Muhammad Shah delivered a powerful sprint, breaking free from the pack of four other cyclists before overtaking his rivals just metres before the finish line at the Konya Velodrome.
This is the first gold medal won by the cyclist, nicknamed ‘The Terminator Shah’, at a UCI event, marking the biggest achievement of his career so far.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic team sprint event bronze medallist, Sebastien Vigier from France, bagged the silver medal, while the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championship (ATC) keirin champion, Shinji Nakano from Japan, took home the bronze.
Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri also set a new national record in the sprint event, clocking 10.578 seconds in Konya, surpassing her previous record of 10.658 seconds, which she set at the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championship (ACT 2025) at the National Velodrome in Nilai last month.
Amarjit, who is also a member of the UCI Executive Committee, said that he will continue to provide the necessary support to Muhammad Shah Firdaus and Nurul Izzah Izzati to maintain their excellence on the international stage.
“We will also monitor the performance of other cyclists,” he added.
