KJ claims double standards in Azizulhasni’s situation citing Rio 2016, calls for a warning
“I remember telling Amarjit that we were lucky Azizul is not the only one who overtook the derny, a British and German cyclist were also judged to have done so. The judges will not dare disqualify the Western cyclists."
SHAH ALAM - Former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin questions the consistency of the decision to disqualify Malaysian cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang from the Paris Olympics keirin final, hinting double standards.
On Instagram, Khairy argued that a warning, rather than a disqualification, might have been more fitting, drawing parallels to a similar incident at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
During the Rio Games, British cyclist Jason Kenny, Germany’s Joachim Eilers and Azizulhasni all faced disqualification for overtaking the derny, the motorbike that sets the pace in keirin races.
However, after their countries lodged appeals, all three were spared disqualification and were instead issued warnings.
Khairy reflected on this precedent, recalling his experience at the Rio velodrome with team manager Amarjit Singh and coach John Beasley.
He said that the judges in Rio hesitated to disqualify the Western cyclists, which ultimately led to a warning for all involved. Kenny went on to win gold, while Azizulhasni secured bronze.
“All three were deemed to have overtaken the derny. I recall being in the velodrome pit with team manager Amarjit Singh and coach John Beasley as all three countries lodged appeals against their disqualifications.
“I remember telling Amarjit that we were lucky Azizul is not the only one who overtook the derny, a British and German cyclist were also judged to have done so.
"The judges will not dare disqualify the Western cyclists.
“Sure enough, all were given a warning but were allowed to start the final. Kenny took gold and Azizul won bronze. What happened tonight was a mistake. But there was a clear precedent that a warning could have been given instead of outright disqualification,” Khairy said.
Khairy also shared screenshots of online articles about the Rio 2016 Olympics, detailing how the race was halted twice due to riders overtaking the derny.
Despite these infractions, all competitors were allowed to restart the race, with Kenny eventually winning gold and Azizulhasni taking bronze.
Another screenshot highlighted the delays and lengthy discussions among Team Great Britain support staff before officials decided to let all riders back onto the velodrome.
“Remarkably, when the race resumed, another false start occurred with Eilers overtaking the derny, but he too was given another chance,” it said.
In a related matter, Khairy also praised Azizulhasni, also known as the "Pocket Rocketman," as one of Malaysia’s greatest athletes, acknowledging his achievements as a world champion and Olympic medalist.
This came after Azizul's disqualification from the men's keirin race at the Paris Olympics yesterday for overtaking the derny before it left the track.
The Malaysian delegation, led by Chef de Mission Datuk Hamidin Amin, did appeal the disqualification, but the decision was upheld.
Despite the setback, Malaysia found some consolation as Shah Firdaus Sahrom, Azizulhasni’s teammate, advanced to the quarterfinals after a strong performance in his first-round repechage.
