‘POCKET ROCKETMAN’ SHARES JOURNEY TO SUCCESS, VISION FOR FUTURE COACHING ACADEMY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The sacrifice made by Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, when he turned down an offer to attend a Fully Residential School (SBP) in favour of pursuing his education at a sports school, has clearly paid off, as he has become one of the world's leading track cycling champions.

Although the decision he made at the age of 15 was a difficult one, his deep passion for the sport led the cyclist from Dungun, Terengganu, to remain determined to pursue his dream of becoming a world-class athlete on the international stage.

Mohd Azizulhasni, or more commonly known as 'The Pocket Rocketman,' who is now 36, said he never expected the significant decision he made at that time to attend the Bukit Jalil Sports School would have such a profound impact on his life and career.

"I still remember waiting for the SBP letter, but at the same time, I was eagerly anticipating the letter from the National Sports Council (MSN) to go to the sports school. When the SBP letter arrived, my mother told me to go, but I said to her, I wanted to ‘wait for the other letter.' Eventually, the MSN letter arrived, and I chose to go there, but my mother was upset because my dream was to become a doctor. In her view at the time, sports did not offer a bright future," he said.

Mohd Azizulhasni shared the journey of his life before becoming the country's track cycling champion during the Sports Icons Tour programme organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) in conjunction with the Two-Year MADANI Government (2TM) programme at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) today.

The silver medallist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Keirin event said that throughout this journey, he made a promise to his mother that he would ensure his education remained a priority, even while undergoing regular training.

During his sharing session, Mohd Azizulhasni, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Science at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, also expressed his hope that one day Malaysia could set up a coaching academy, leading it to ensure that athletes from various sports would reach world-class status.

"At the moment, I want to focus on my career and what I am doing now. Who knows, with the support of KBS and MSN, maybe we can establish a Coaching Academy… I could train sports coaches.

"For example, look at what China has done. They brought the best coaches to China for several years, then absorbed all the knowledge, skills, and information from those coaches and passed it on to local coaches, sending them to every district, state, and even clubs to train athletes," he said.

KBS Management Services Division secretary, Richard Barahim, said that the KBS booth at the 2TM programme this time highlighted the concept of e-sports as its main attraction.

"Compared to the earlier shows, our booth is more lively this time. We also showcase the successes and achievements of KBS under the MADANI Government through video presentations to make it more engaging and interactive.

"Additionally, we are offering advisory services on the KBS Sports Fund for the community, matching grants to support national or international sports programmes, and more," he said.

Richard added that KBS is also offering free access to its facilities at the Department of Youth and Sports across the states, from today until Sunday.

-- BERNAMA