KUALA LUMPUR, 26 February 2013 – The national dream of bringing home an Olympic medal for track cycling has been re-ignited with Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) committing RM2.85 million to sponsor Malaysia’s two top track cyclists, Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Fatehah Mustapa in their pursuit to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

YSD had previously supported seven Malaysian cyclists through the ‘YSD Track Cycling Team – Quest for Malaysia’s Olympic Cycling Medal’ programme for the 2012 London Olympics with a RM2 million sponsorship over a period of 30 months.

From the seven cyclists, Azizul and Fatehah made the cut for the 2012 London Olympics and represented Malaysia in the keirin and sprint events but did not win any medals.

The announcement on the new sponsorship for the two cyclists was made by YSD Chairman, YABhg Tun Musa Hitam during a mock cheque presentation ceremony held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre (SDCC) in Bukit Kiara. Also present were YSD governing council member YBhg Datin Paduka Zaitoon Dato’ Othman, Director General of the National Sports Council Dato’ Seri Zolkples Embong, YSD Chief Executive Officer Yatela Zainal Abidin, National Cycling Coach John Beasley, Azizulhasni and Fatehah.

Tun Musa said that YSD’s continuous support for the cycling event was spurred by Azizulhasni and Fatehah’s fine performance at the 2012 London Olympics.

“We believe our chance to win an Olympic medal for track cycling during the 2016 Rio Olympics is very bright. As you are aware, both Azizulhasni and Fatehah, made history when they qualified to compete in the Olympics last year. Though we did not win any medals, it was a historical and exciting moment to watch Malaysia’s top riders compete against the best in the world of track cyclists. This time around, with YSD’s support, we hope Azizul and Fatehah will hone their skills further by winning more international competitions to qualify and eventually bring home an Olympic medal,” he said.

Tun Musa added that YSD’s support for the 2016 Road to Rio programme was in line with the objectives of the foundation’s Youth, Sports and Recreation pillar where it supports programmes to develop sports and its talents, ultimately raising the standard of sports in the country.

“With YSD’s support, it is our fervent hope that these top national cyclists will be able to realise their full potential and increase their chances for a medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.”

YSD’s support is also aligned with the national agenda to bring home an Olympic medal for track cycling.

Zolkples said he was very optimistic of the duo’s chances with the collaboration between YSD and NSC.

"We value YSD's continuous support for track cycling and the team in our pursuit of an Olympic medal. I am confident of Azizulhasni and Fatehah's potential in the sport and the collaboration will go a long way to push the boundaries for them to achieve this dream," he said.

The national cycling coach, John Beasley, said he looks forward to continue building and delivering world-class track cycling programmes for Malaysian cyclists.

"This new collaboration between YSD and NSC has given track cycling in Malaysia a massive chance at beating massive odds in obtaining an Olympic medal for track cycling. The countless hours of relentless training to achieve this goal has just been made a little easier now with the help of YSD," he further added.

The funding for three-and-a-half years from February 2013 to August 2016 will cover team entries and fees, flight tickets, travelling expenses, racing attire, travel equipment, and allowances.

YSD’s funding will enable Azizulhasni and Fatehah to participate in 42 races under this new sponsorship, compared with 15 under the 2012 Road to London Olympics programme.

The duo will kick off the 2016 Road to Rio programme with their participation in the ACC Delhi competition in India next month.

Azizulhasni is currently ranked 28th and 25th in the Sprint and Keirin categories based on the recent Track Cycling World Cup Ranking provided by the International Cycling Union (ICU) while Fatehah ranks 35th in the Women’s Keirin category.

The foundation also sponsors Azizulhasni and Fatehah under its YSD ‘Star’ Scholarship Programme, which offers academic sponsorships to ‘potential stars’ in the field of arts, music, sports, environment and sciences.

The scholarship has enabled Azizulhasni to pursue studies in Sports Management at the Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Fatehah has yet to commence her studies in Business Marketing at the same university.