Malaysians hope for Shah Firdaus' victory over Israeli competitor at Paris Olympics
Excitement builds as Shah Firdaus prepares to compete against Israel's Mikhail Iakovlev
SHAH ALAM - The stage is set for a thrilling showdown as national cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who advanced through the qualification round earlier today at the Paris Olympics, gears up to face Israeli cyclist Mikhail Iakovlev tonight.
The track cycling event featuring Malaysian athletes kicked off today, with national representatives Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, also known as Rocket Pocketman and Shah Firdaus successfully making it past the qualifying rounds.
Both cycling stars have progressed to the 1/32 finals in the sprint event.
Azizulhasni secured his spot in the next round with a time of 9.402 seconds, finishing 10th in the qualifying round.
Shah Firdaus followed suit, clocking in at 9.635 seconds to take 22nd place.
Shah Firdaus, in a recent Instagram post expressed his growing excitement and called on Malaysians to keep him in their prayers for a victorious outcome.
Meanwhile, Sinar Daily's checks on the X platform revealed that Shah Firdaus is trending, with Malaysians rallying behind him and hoping he will triumph over Iakovlev.
Many netizens voiced their support for Shah Firdaus, expressing a desire for him to "tibai" (thrash) the representative of the "illegal state," referencing the atrocities and genocide committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
