Azizulhasni Signs Off His Asian Games Career With Keirin Gold at 38, 16 Years After His First
The Pocket Rocketman won keirin gold at Izu a day after sprint bronze, finishing his Asian Games career with three golds, one silver and two bronzes.
Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang saved one of his finest rides for his last Asian Games. At 38, the Pocket Rocketman won the men's keirin at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka on Friday, 2 October, delivering Malaysia's eighth gold of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and closing his Asiad career in style.
The win came 16 years after he first took Asian Games keirin gold at Guangzhou 2010, and a day after he had picked up bronze in the individual sprint.
A late burst on the final bend
China's Li Zhiwei had taken control of the final, but Azizulhasni produced a strong burst of speed on the last bend to go past him. Li took silver and his teammate Xie Han the bronze. Malaysia's Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who also made the final, finished fifth.
Azizulhasni had won the second semi-final heat, while Shah Firdaus came third in the first heat to join him in the medal race.
Speaking afterwards, Azizulhasni explained his approach: "I gave them a gap and chased them down slowly." Rather than chasing the leaders straight away, he built his speed steadily before accelerating hard on the final lap. He compared the intensity of the race to a World Championships final, and said his younger rivals were stunned that a 38-year-old was still competing at that level.
Sprint bronze the day before
On 1 October, Azizulhasni added a sprint bronze. He qualified third fastest in 9.467 seconds, beat Japan's Konata Takahashi 2-0 in the quarter-finals, then lost his semi-final 0-2 to Li Zhiwei. In the bronze-medal ride he beat Thailand's Jai Angsuthasawit 2-0. Japan's Kaiya Ota retained the sprint title by beating Li in the final.
He was the oldest rider in the sprint field.
Achieved on limited preparation
That makes the result all the more impressive. According to theSun, Azizulhasni had only about three weeks of team training before the Games after arriving a week late to the squad's training camp in Brisbane. In the keirin he was up against riders like the 22-year-old Li and Ota, who is 11 years his junior.
A career built on big moments
The keirin title rounds off an Asian Games record of three golds, one silver and two bronzes. His golds came in the keirin at Guangzhou 2010, the individual sprint at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and now the keirin in Japan.
Beyond the Asiad, Azizulhasni won the keirin world title in 2017, took Olympic keirin bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020, the last of those on this same Izu track.
Part of a record-equalling day
His gold was one of three for Malaysia on 2 October, alongside the women's and men's squash team titles. That took the contingent to nine golds, equalling the national Asian Games record set at Guangzhou 2010. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated the day's gold medallists, praising their "outstanding ability and determination."
Key takeaways
- Azizulhasni won men's keirin gold on 2 October at the Izu Velodrome, Malaysia's eighth gold of the Games.
- He overtook China's Li Zhiwei on the final bend; Xie Han took bronze and Shah Firdaus was fifth.
- A day earlier he won individual sprint bronze, beating Thailand's Jai Angsuthasawit.
- He ends his Asian Games career with three golds, one silver and two bronzes.
- He did it at 38, after only about three weeks of team training.
FAQ
How many Asian Games medals has Azizulhasni won? Six in total: three golds, one silver and two bronzes, with the 2026 keirin gold described as his final Asian Games appearance.
Who won the sprint at Aichi-Nagoya 2026? Japan's Kaiya Ota retained the title, with China's Li Zhiwei second and Azizulhasni third.
When did Azizulhasni first win Asian Games keirin gold? At Guangzhou 2010, 16 years before his win in Japan.
Sources: Malay Mail, The Star, theSun, Bernama, The Rakyat Post