Pelumba trek berbasikal negara, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, berada di landasan tepat untuk membuat penampilan sulung dalam Kejohanan Dunia 2017 selepas kembali ke tanah air dengan prestasi membanggakan dalam Siri Piala Dunia di Glasgow, Scotland dan Apeldoorn, Belanda.
Atlet kelahiran Johor itu meraih tangga kelapan acara keirin di Apeldoorn selain turut merekodkan pencapaian sama di Glasgow.
Malah, dia sudah memenuhi syarat minimum Kesatuan Berbasikal Antarabangsa (UCI) untuk sekurang-kurangnya beraksi dalam siri Piala Dunia sebanyak dua kali untuk layak dipertimbangkan ke Kejohanan Dunia.
Oleh itu, pencapaian di Glasgow dan Apeldoorn adalah langkah pertama yang penting untuk Firdaus memburu penampilan sulung dalam Kejohanan Dunia.
"Dengan persiapan singkat, Alhamdulillah saya berjaya membuat rekod peribadi dalam acara pecut dan meraih tempat kelapan acara keirin dalam dua siri Piala Dunia.
"Insya-Allah, saya berpeluang cerah untuk beraksi dalam Kejohanan Dunia," katanya.
Firdaus akan berehat selama seminggu di Malaysia sebelum berangkat ke Melbourne, Australia bagi menyertai kem latihan pusat kendalian ketua jurulatih negara, John Beasley.
Dia diletakkan sebagai pengganti terbaik Azizulhasni Awang yang meraih pingat gangsa di Sukan Olimpik Rio 2016.
Firdaus turut gembira apabila beberapa bekas pelumba seperti Muhammad Firdaus Zonis dan Malek Marcus McCrone mahu membuat penampilan semula menjelang Sukan SEA Kuala Lumpur 2017 dan Sukan Olimpik Tokyo 2020.
Shaiful Shamsudin
Mon Nov 14 2016
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