Johor Govt To Give Track Cyclist Shah Firdaus All The Support He Needs To Reach The Top

JOHOR BAHRU, May 23 (Bernama) -- The Johor government is committed to supporting the development and training of national track cycling ace Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom to ensure he brings glory to the state.

Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said this includes providing a special allocation to make sure the Muar-born cyclist receives world-class training.

"The state government will, insyaAllah, provide an appropriate allocation to make sure he gets the best, including in terms of development and training.

"We also pray that he will be the first Malaysian to win an Olympic gold medal,” Onn Hafiz said in his speech at the launch of the MADANI Rakyat Programme that was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Toppen Shopping Centre here today.

Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, the lead minister of the programme; Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and other state government leaders.

Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz said Shah Firdaus is expected to be named as the state's latest Sports Icon, joining an elite group of athletes that includes the likes of national badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei, All Blacks rugby legend Sonny B Williams and former English Premier League footballer Tim Cahill of Everton.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shah Firdaus was the only national rider to qualify for the final in the keirin event, where he finished sixth, and he also won a keirin silver in the Asian Track Cycling Championships in Jakarta in 2019.

-- BERNAMA