KUALA LUMPUR – After a stellar performance at the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) in New Delhi, national high-performance director John Beasley wants to see continued physical and tactical improvement from Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri.
Nurul Izzah brought home two golds, one silver and one bronze from her outing in India and is in Hong Kong for the second leg of the UCI Nations Cup starting tomorrow.
“I want to keep seeing a physical and tactical improvement from Nurul Izzah, we know physically she still has a lot of work to do though she is moving in the right direction.
“She has had the least amount of exposure and experience out of any of the women, and that is why she is in Hong Kong and will be heading to Canada before returning to Malaysia in mid-April.
“It is all about learning for Nurul Izzah here in Hong Kong, she knows exactly where she is at and what she needs to do over the next couple of years to become a contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“I will be here to expose her (to competition) and mentor her through the process,” said the Australian when contacted by Scoop.
Meanwhile, Beasley has brought Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom with the men’s team to Hong Kong to give the 23-year-old more exposure to high-level competition.
He added that Ridwan was supposed to race at the Austral Wheel Race in December in Melbourne – where Datuk Azizulhasni Awang made his return to competition after recovering from a high-speed crash at the National Velodrome in September – and the Adelaide leg of the Nations Cup.
Unfortunately, Ridwan, who Beasley believes is the closest to being able to step up to the next level, was denied an entry visa to Australia and had to stay home instead.
“So apart from the ACC just past, this (Nations Cup Hong Kong) is Ridwan’s first big competition since the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
“So I need to keep exposing him to competitions to see his level and for him to gain confidence to make the transition from having potential to becoming a contender.
“I’m hoping that next year will be the start of his breakout performances,” added Beasley. – March 14, 2024