Malaysian superstar Azizulhasni Awang has posted a lengthy, no-holds-barred statement on Instagram, describing the country’s sports authorities as unprofessional and inefficient, and repeating his threat to quit in the coming days unless he gets a concrete answer about his Olympic future.
In a nine-page statement in his native Malay, the Pocket Rocketman declares that having won gold at the Commonwealth Games, he now feels ready to hang up his bicycle – unlike after the Paris Olympics, which ended in disappointment and dissatisfaction.
He says he is prepared to commit to another Olympic qualifying cycle out of a sense of national duty for his beloved country.
He offers to forego national Road To Gold funding from Malaysia’s Sports Ministry and National Sports Council, so long as he receives support for his training and recovery for the next two seasons, as he chases qualifying points.
But he also wants a written commitment that all qualifying points will be tied to the athlete who earns them. He expresses concern about the points he earns being taken away by a ‘magic trick’, referencing the recent treatment of outgoing national team coach John Beasley.
Awang goes on to criticise sports minister YB Taufik Johari’s failure to engage in discussion of his own future, and blames him for Beasley’s departure.
He also condemns the appointment of inexperienced individuals to major leadership roles, claiming it has harmed grassroots sport and led to huge losses for the country.
‘I know this statement will anger certain parties,’ he writes (translated). ‘I am merely awaiting the forces that will be deployed to wage war against me. I am not afraid because I know I am on the side of the truth.’
Earlier on Friday, Malaysia’s national track coach Harnizam Basri appeared to claim the ball was in Awang’s court. ‘So far, Azizulhasni has not given us a final answer,’ he said.
‘He is still in the plan to go (to the country’s Asian Games training camp) because the ticket has already been issued. We just don’t know whether he will eventually pull the handbrake or what.
‘We really want him because he can guide the younger riders in the team. We want him to be part of the team, but at the same time he has issues that need to be dealt with and we don’t know how things will develop.’
