ACC 2023: Muhammad Hafiq rises from disappointment to finish with silver

NILAI - After losing his silver medal in the men’s omnium event yesterday, the country’s young rider Muhammad Hafiq Mohd Jafri managed to recover from his disappointment by winning the silver medal in the points race of the 2023 Asian Track Cycling Championships (2023 ACC) today.

In the event’s final, which requires endurance to cover 80 laps, equivalent to 20kms, Muhammad Hafiq, 18, finished with 49 points to take second place.

Nurahmat Syeihan Muhammad from Indonesia emerged as the champion after collecting 68 points, while the bronze went to Jo Jeongu from South Korea (34 points).

Commenting on today’s race, Hafiq who hails from Melaka, said he had to accept the silver medal because Nurahmat has an advantage in terms of endurance.

"Thankfully, today I managed to rise to the occasion for a medal in the points race event. I’m really downcast that I couldn’t defend the silver in my favourite event yesterday, maybe it wasn’t my fortune,” he said.

The silver medal winner of the omnium event at the 2022 ACC in New Delhi, India, has the opportunity to add to his medal lustre when he competes in the madison event on the last day, this Monday.

Meanwhile, the Para track cycling squad continued to excel by winning three gold medals in the Asian Para Track Cycling Championships competition held concurrently with the 2023 ACC.

The winner of three gold medals at the 2018 Asian Para Games, Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais, assisted by Nurul Suhada Zainal (pilot), performed brilliantly to win the gold in the women’s individual pursuit B (visual impairment) event.

The 25-year-old rider defeated the Indonesian representative Sri Sugiyanti who was assisted by Ni'mal Maghfiroh, for the championship.

"It was indeed our target to win gold in this (individual pursuit B) event. We succeeded in achieving our mission by following the plan to maintain momentum in the first six rounds, and peaking in the last six rounds,” said Nur Azlia Syafinaz.

Two more gold medals for Malaysia were contributed by Muhammad Adi Raimie Amizazahan through the C3 individual pursuit and Zuhairi Ahmad Tarmizi for the C5 omnium men’s events. - BERNAMA