"Alhamdulillah!" - Azizul’s Prayer Answered with Commonwealth Gold

Those were the emotional words of Malaysia’s track cycling star, Azizulhasni Awang, after winning his first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal early this morning.

After competing in four editions of the Games, The Pocket Rocketman finally achieved his dream. He had previously suffered heartbreak when the gold medal he won at the 2010 New Delhi Games was taken away.

The 38-year-old said it had always been his dream to end his cycling career with a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

“The most important thing in the keirin is tactics. Today, I showed the world that I am the best keirin rider.

“I wasn’t worried about being in fourth place because there were three riders in front of me. I stayed patient and waited for the right moment to make my move.

“This means so much to me because I plan to retire after this. I won gold in New Delhi, but it was taken away. I also won two bronze medals. Every day, I prayed to Allah for a gold medal.

“I really wanted to end my career with a gold medal to prove to myself and to the world that I can still win at the age of 38.

“Alhamdulillah, today I proved it.”