JOHOR BAHRU: National cycling champion Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom was crowned Sportsman while sharpshooter Nurul Syasya Nadiah Arifin was announced as the state’s Sportswoman at the 30th Johor Sports Awards (ASJ) here last night.
The awards were presented by state Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Committee Chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah in a ceremony held at Persada Johor Convention Centre here.
According to Mohd Hairi, Muhammad Shah Firdaus was chosen as the winner of the individual award because of his achievements that have forged a name for Malaysian cycling by ranking 12th for the keirin and sprint events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and winning a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
He said the national women’s 10m air pistol shooter Nurul Syasya Nadiah as selected as Sportswoman for her gold medal at the 2022 SEA Games and contributing four gold medals at the 2022 Malaysia Games (Sukma XX) in Kuala Lumpur.
“At this year’s ASJ, 14 awards were given to athletes and also sports promoters, at the same time, it is hoped that they can be an inspiration and a catalyst for other athletes to do better in the future, thus raising Johor’s fame and profile at the national level as well as abroad,” he said in his speech.
Earlier, the two sports champions from Muar and Batu Pahat each pocketed RM7,000 in cash along with trophies.
In other awards, the Johor State football team was crowned the Best Men’s Team for successfully retaining the Charity Shield, Malaysia Cup and Super League title in the 2021 & 2022 seasons, in addition to winning the Best Team in the 2022 MFL National Football Awards.
The success of Johor Sukma Women’s Pursuit cycling team in creating a new national record and winning gold at the 2022 Sukma XX made the team the winning choice. Both teams took home RM3,000 cash and trophies.
Meanwhile, when asked about upcoming tournaments, Muhammad Shah Firdaus, who is nicknamed ‘The Terminator Shah’, said he will stay in competitive trim with the 2024 International Cycling Union (UCI) Nations Cup in Hong Kong in March before going to Australia to train for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I regard all the championships as important to ensure my current performance is at its peak best while the costly mistake at the 2024 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) in New Delhi last week (when he missed the cut in the men’s keirin second heat) will be seen as an important lesson,” he said. -Bernama
