The Youth and Sports Ministry has acknowledged communication gaps that triggered controversy over national track cycling ace Azizulhasni Awang’s bid to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28).
Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari said the ministry took responsibility for the breakdown and would ensure better communication between Azizulhasni, the National Sports Council (NSC), the national cycling association, and other parties.
“If there is a ‘communication breakdown’ or mistakes in terms of communication, we take responsibility for it and want to ensure that such things do not happen again.
“Good communication between the NSC, athlete, and association is very important to prevent controversy or confusion in society,” he told a press conference after an NSC briefing on the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and LA28 qualification process at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya today.
Green light for LA28
Taufiq said the NSC Board had agreed on Aug 13 to allow Azizulhasni to continue his LA28 mission, after the minister directed the council to evaluate the matter.
The NSC issued an offer letter to Azizulhasni two days ago, while the ministry received his feedback yesterday.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist has since accepted the offer and agreed to continue representing Malaysia in the bid to qualify for LA28, Taufiq said.
“This matter has been resolved. Now the issue is, moving forward, what are the next steps we need to take? That is what we need to be optimistic about and think forward,” he said.
Taufiq said further discussions involving Azizulhasni, the cycling association, NSC, and the National Sports Institute would determine the assistance and support needed for his LA28 preparations.
The development follows the NSC’s confirmation on Aug 30 that it supports Azizulhasni as one of the national track cyclists tasked with accumulating LA28 qualification points under the Road to Gold and NSC Podium programmes.
Taufiq also plans to hold a series of meetings and town halls with athletes to identify and resolve issues more quickly.
Last Friday, former world champion Azizulhasni uploaded a nine-page statement on Instagram detailing the LA28 qualification process and his career plans, while seeking clarity from the ministry and NSC on whether his services were still required.
The NSC denied the following day that it had disregarded his plans or failed to appreciate his contributions, stressing that it had consistently supported “The Pocket Rocketman”, including his preparations for LA28.
Azizulhasni subsequently posted a video yesterday confirming that he received the offer and would continue his qualification campaign, with the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai in October among its key stages.
- Bernama
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