Speaking to Astro Arena in Paris, a tearful Azizulhasni said the attention of Malaysian sports fans should no longer fall on him but on the next generation of cyclists.

“For me, I really hope Shah (Firdaus Sahrom) will further my legacy after this. Shah, his brother, and a few more others.

“It’s not about me any more. I hope sports fans and Malaysians will stop talking about me. It’s not about me, it’s about supporting (Shah Firdaus) and the next generation,” he said after the men’s keirin final today.

Shah Firdaus, one of six riders in the final, was relegated after a nasty crash with two other cyclists in the last lap.

Azizulhasni, dubbed the “Pocket Rocketman”, added that he will always be around to guide the new breed of cyclists if they ever needed his help.

“I will definitely come and help as much as I can. Now it’s about giving back to the people,” he said.

Azizulhasni won the 2017 world championship and two Olympic medals, the bronze in Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo 2020.

Malaysia was banking on the 36-year-old to deliver its first Olympic gold, with the Paris Games expected to be his last. However, he was disqualified in the first round of the men’s keirin yesterday after overtaking the derny before it pulled off the track.

Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands took the keirin gold medal, with Australians Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer taking silver and bronze.

Azizulhasni told Bernama that he is likely to race for just one or two more years, having promised his family that the Paris Olympics would be his last after undergoing heart surgery two years ago.

He said it was possible to compete for gold again at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if he looked after his body, but he needed a break from the pressure and challenges after nearly two decades in the sport.

“So far I don’t have any concrete plans… I just want to take a break, see my family and relax first. Once I’m back in Malaysia, I will sit down and discuss it again,” he said.