Azizulhasni completed reciting the al-Quran two days before winning silver in Tokyo

KUALA LUMPUR: National cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang said he finished reciting the Quran two days before creating history by winning silver for the country at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 recently.

Mohd Azizulhasni, 33 said he had aimed to "khatam" (completion of recital) before his quest for gold in the keirin event. He had begun reading the Quran while in training in Nilai last month.

He said the grueling training schedule in Nilai along with other activities with the Tokyo Olympic cycling team affected his "khatam" task but there was more time to continue his recital uninterrupted after he embarked on his mission for gold in Tokyo.

Azizulhasni admitted that it was not easy for him as the pressure was great to win gold but the Dungun-born athlete said reciting the Quran helped soothe his mind and soul and kept him focused on his target.

"I was asked what was my secret to staying calm facing such extremities and my answer was the Quran," the cyclist popularly called 'The Pocket Rocketman' said in a posting on Facebook and Instagram today.

Mohd Azizulhasni said he spent half the time during his flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo reading the Quran.

He also said Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican who was on the same flight with him gave him words of encouragement and shared spiritual tips.

Azizulhasni also said he used any free time at the sports village to read the Quran.

However, the 2017 world keirin champion admitted that there were obstacles, such as incidences where he heard "voices" telling him to quit reading the Quran.

He ignored the voices and continued reading the Quran since reading it puts him in a state of mind free of worldly worries.

"I was like in a different dimension where I was able to forget about the tiredness and the burden on my shoulders," he said.

He also said he made a solemn promise after finishing reading the al-Quran a day before the keirin event started to leave everything to God.

Azizulhasni won a silver in the keirin final held at the Velodrome Izu in Shizuoka last Sunday. He bettered his last achievement of winning bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic.

Azizulhasni is the most successful track cyclist after participating in four Olympic Games beginning with the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

-- BERNAMA