SHAH FIRDAUS PEDALS INTO RAYA WITH GLEE AFTER A DECADE ABROAD

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- After a decade of celebrating Aidilfitri abroad due to career demands, national track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom finally has the chance to return to his hometown in Muar, Johor this year to relive the joy of the festivities with his family.

However, the return of the gold medalist in the keirin event at the recent International Cycling Union (UCI) Nations Cup Championship in Konya, Türkiye comes with indescribable feelings, as it feels somewhat strange to once again experience the vibrancy of Aidilfitri back home after so long.

“I usually don’t celebrate Raya, so when I get to celebrate it, it feels kind of strange, but my family is all happy because it’s been a long time since we celebrated together at home. We don’t even know what next year will be like because I’ll start training again, so I’m really excited to go back to the village and enjoy my mom’s cooking.

"I can’t wait to savour ‘lodeh’ especially the gravy, ‘ayam masak merah’, beef curry, and many more. Just talking about it, I can already imagine the flavours,” he said when contacted by Bernama recently.

The 29-year-old cyclist admitted that this Ramadan had given him a different experience, as he went a little 'crazy' buying various dishes at the Ramadan bazaars.

Thrilled by the variety of food choices, he also compared the atmosphere here with Australia, his training location, noting that Ramadan bazaars in Malaysia are far grander than those overseas.

“I’ve been to bazaars in Malaysia—now the cycling team is staying in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. That’s what I’ve been looking for because it’s been 10 years since I last experienced the bazaar vibe. I even went around the same bazaar two or three times because I was so excited that I didn’t know what to buy, and in the end, I bought everything!” he said.

Amid his excitement about the festive celebrations, Muhammad Shah Firdaus remains focused on recovering from a right knee injury, hoping to return to peak performance ahead of the World Championships this October.

“I was supposed to rest completely from training and the gym. But because of preparations for the championship, I kept training non-stop.

“After finishing the race and winning gold in the keirin event that day, my knee did feel quite swollen. I couldn’t even kneel, so I really need time to recover fully,” he said.

During the race at the UCI Championship in Türkiye, Muhammad Shah Firdaus showcased powerful pedaling to break free from the pack of four other riders before overtaking his challengers just metres from the finish line at the Konya Velodrome.

The victory marked the first gold won by the cyclist, nicknamed ‘The Terminator Shah’, at a UCI championship, making it the greatest achievement in his career so far.

-- BERNAMA