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‘Terminator’ and ‘Pocket Rocketwoman’ named top hopes for 2026 Asiad | Scoop
Track stars Shah Firdaus and Nurul Izzah lead Malaysia’s medal hopes at the 2026 Asian Games. — Scoop gfx, April 18, 2025
Sports

‘Terminator’ and ‘Pocket Rocketwoman’ named top hopes for 2026 Asiad

Shah Firdaus and Nurul Izzah Izzati emerge as Malaysia’s best medal prospects in track cycling at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya

Main Author Image
Julie Jalaluddin
Updated
3:17 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR — Two national track cyclists – Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri – have emerged as the country’s top prospects for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said this decision positions the national track cycling squad as the main focus for the quadrennial multi-sports event.

“We will make a selection (of cyclists) for the road event, but our main focus is on the track,” he told reporters here yesterday, as reported by Bernama.

The 2026 Asiad will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya.

Shah Firdaus, dubbed “The Terminator”, is currently enjoying a career high. The 29-year-old Johorean is ranked third in the world in the men’s elite sprint and last month clinched his first-ever gold at a UCI championship — winning the men’s keirin at the Nations Cup in Konya, Türkiye.

He previously won three medals at the Asian Games: a silver in the team sprint in 2018, and two bronzes in the sprint and keirin events in 2022.

Nurul Izzah — known as “The Pocket Rocketwoman” — also made headlines with a standout performance at the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ATC) held in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.

The 21-year-old from Kedah claimed two golds, one silver, and one bronze while setting national and Asian records in the individual sprint, team sprint, and 1km time trial.

Both riders have been named among 16 athletes in the elite Road to Gold (RTG) programme, aimed at grooming Malaysia’s brightest prospects for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“We hope they will get all the full support from the RTG programme. I think the decision is right,” said Amarjit. — April 18, 2025

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