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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Other information | LIVING IN AUSTRALIA In 2007 he moved to Melbourne, VIC, Australia, to join the Malaysia High Performance Team under coach John Beasley. "I always speak in Bahasa Malaysia with my children because we have been living here in Australia for several years already [speaking in 2019] and the girls are attending schools here, so my wife and I will try to inculcate the Malaysian values in them with hope that they will not forget their Malaysian roots despite growing up in foreign land." (scmp.com, 06 Jul 2021; thestar.com.my, 13 Apr 2020; astroawani.com, 28 Aug 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2019) HEART SURGERY In 2022 he had open heart surgery due to an anomalous aortic origin of his right coronary artery. "There was something abnormal with my heart since I was born, and my doctor was surprised because I have been competing at the highest level, the elite level, for a long time with no issues. It is not caused by [physical] activity and diet. It is a birth defect. It tends to get worse with age, and I had felt it during the 2019-2020 period when I was preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. I thought my career would be over after the operation. Many sudden deaths in sports resulted by this kind of heart defect and it makes me wary. I was so down at times, but I was so lucky because I had a good surgeon and a good team that helped me to go through that process. This has not been my biggest injury. Before this, I met with an accident at the World Cup event in Manchester that almost cost me my career in 2011. So that experience taught me a little bit to go through this phase more easily." (nst.com.my, 26 Feb 2023, 01 May 2022; insidethegames.biz, 28 Nov 2022; eurosport.com, 16 Nov 2022; malaymail.com, 01 Sep 2022; skor.id, 03 May 2022) MEMORABLE INJURY He says he gained internal strength after recovering from an injury that saw his leg impaled by a shard of wood after a crash in February 2011. "Memories of a 20cm piece of wood that accidentally penetrated through my calf are still fresh [speaking in 2021]. All sorts of stress I went through at that time. Emotions, physical stress at various points in time as I tried to return to the peak performance. The easiest option at the time would have been to put away my bike and find a new direction. But I don't make it a choice for myself. I believe every challenge and obstacle comes with a sweet reward. Ladies, gentlemen, sisters and brothers. I hope you all don't give up easily on life whatever your job is. You deserve to taste the sweetness that has been earmarked for you. The point is, whether or not we can get through the hardship." (scmp.com, 06 Jul 2021) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Wife Athiah Ilyana Abdul Samat, daughters Amna Khadeeja and Amna Maryam |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "I train hard, I work hard, and I don't accept excuses." (Instagram profile, 17 May 2016) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Exercise Science - Victoria University: Melbourne, VIC, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Cooking. (olympics.com, 08 Aug 2021; thestar.com.my, 13 Apr 2020) |
| Milestones | He became the first Malaysian track cyclist to win a medal at the Olympic Games when he finished third in the keirin at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Jul 2018; cyclingnews.com, 17 Aug 2016) |
| Other sports | He competed in mountain bike at the 2001 Selangor International event in Malaysia. (malaymail.com, 01 Mar 2015) |
| Ambitions | To win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (insidethegames.biz, 28 Nov 2022) |
| Injuries | In April 2022 he underwent open heart surgery after being diagnosed with an anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery. He returned to elite competition in November 2022. (insidethegames.biz, 28 Nov 2022; eurosport.com, 16 Nov 2022; malaymail.com, 01 Sep 2022; nst.com.my, 01 May 2022) In 2019 his finger got stuck in the wheel chain and he lost part of his finger tip while setting up his bike in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. He underwent microsurgery and missed the Asian track championships in Jincheon, Republic of Korea, in October that year. (thestar.com.my, 03 Oct 2019) A viral infection in his lungs forced him to withdraw from the individual sprint event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. He did compete in the keirin event at the Games. (nst.com.my, 05 Apr 2018) He withdrew from the 2016 World Championships in London, England, after falling ill due to a flu virus and tearing a thigh muscle in an accident during training. (yayasansimedarby.com, 08 Mar 2016) In 2011 he dislocated his knee during an event in Indonesia. (uk.eurosport.yahoo.com, 07 Jun 2012) In February 2011 at the World Cup event in Manchester, England, his left calf was impaled by a shard of wood during a crash. He finished the race in third place before having the shard removed in hospital. The injury caused him to miss the world championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, the following month. (dailymail.co.uk, 23 Feb 2011; thestar.com.my, 26 Jun 2012; my.sports.yahoo.com, 19 Jun 2013) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He followed his brother to a cycling club, and used the bike given to him by his father as a reward for good exam results. "At 15 years old, I was determined to pursue cycling and left for Bukit Jalil Sports School. My parents were not too happy with my decision to become a sportsman because they wanted me to become a doctor but I was adamant with my dream of becoming a national champion in track cycling." |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | His wife and his family. (Instagram profile, 03 Mar 2016; top10malaysia.com, 27 Jul 2012) |
| Awards and honours | He received the 2019 Sportswriters Association of Malaysia Best Athlete Award. He won the same award in 2017 and 2009. (thestar.com.my, 02 Sep 2020, 02 Mar 2018) In 2015 he received the Full Blue Award for sporting achievements from Victoria University, making him the first non-Australian to be given the award. (yayasansimedarby.com, 08 Mar 2016) He was named Terengganu Sportsman of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012. (astroawani.com, 25 Dec 2012) He was Malaysia's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (mncf.org.my, 27 Jul 2012; thepocketrocketman.blogspot.com, 01 May 2013) He was named Malaysian Sportsman of the Year in 2009 and 2010. (mncf.org.my, 27 Jul 2012; Facebook page, 06 Mar 2016) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | John Beasley [national], AUS |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began cycling at age 10 in Dungun, Malaysia. He competed in mountain biking growing up and switched to track cycling in 2002. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Languages | English, Malay |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Pocket Rocket Man, Jijoe (Facebook page, 06 Mar 2016; thepocketrocketman.blogspot.com, 01 May 2013) |