KUALA LUMPUR: Track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang has declared that he and his teammates are "ready for war" at the Paris Olympics.
Track cycling begins on Aug 7 at the Velodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, with hopes pinned on Azizulhasni to secure Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal.
Azizulhasni and Shah Firdaus Sahrom will compete in the men's keirin and sprint events, while Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri will represent Malaysia in the women's keirin.
"My mission is to chase the gold medal. Once again, I am one of the hopefuls for gold, and I know everyone wants Malaysia to win an Olympic title.
"Having tried four times, my fifth attempt in Paris will be my last. I hope I can win gold," Azizulhasni told TV3 upon arriving in Paris on Thursday.
For the record, Azizulhasni won bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020.
Azizulhasni, 36, who underwent heart surgery in 2022, is accompanied by a cardiologist from the National Heart Institute (IJN), Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Jeswant Dillon.
Dr. Jeffrey is part of the medical team from the National Sports Institute (NSI), which will closely monitor and ensure Azizulhasni's health and safety in Paris.
"This gives me some relief because it has only been two years since I underwent heart surgery.
"It was quite serious, and during the first year after surgery, everyone was worried.
"But after undergoing several tests and participating in competitions, nothing serious happened.
"Having Dr. Jeffrey around will make me feel a bit safer in case anything unexpected occurs," he added.