KUALA LUMPUR – Zawawi Azman, who captained the Malaysia team in this year’s Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL), is unwavering in his commitment to the world of competitive cycling.
Despite being a dedicated full-time logistics technician and lance corporal in the Malaysian Armed Forces, Zawawi’s passion for racing knows no bounds.
His involvement with the national team during LTdL, which was held from September 23 to 30, was a temporary loan.
Following the conclusion of the prestigious ProSeries event, he returned to serve the newly established Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC), a UCI continental team that came into being in August.
Prior to his tenure with MPC, the 29-year-old professional cyclist was affiliated with Team Sapura Cycling, which unfortunately shuttered in June due to sponsorship issues.
Speaking to Scoop, Zawawi expressed his contentment with his current situation.
“My future in cycling is looking brighter now with MPC. I hope to participate in more races next year, though for now, there are only a few smaller races within the country,” he said.
He also affirmed his readiness to answer the call to represent the national team again if the opportunity arises.
Before the emergence of MPC, Zawawi had contemplated retiring from cycling following Team Sapura’s dissolution, which left him without a team to compete for.
However, he was convinced to make a comeback by national coach Mohd Yusof Abdul Nasir, who tapped him to lead the national team in LTdL, resulting in a commendable 14th-place finish out of 22 teams.
“My contract with the national team was limited to LTdL only. But perhaps Coach Yusof will give me a call-up.
“After LTdL, I don’t have any major races lined up, but the coach mentioned receiving an invitation for a race in China in November.
“I’m currently in the process of securing my visa, and if all goes smoothly, I’ll be heading to China. Meanwhile, my primary focus remains on MPC,” said the Parit Buntar-born athlete.
During this downtime, Zawawi also intends to cherish some quality time with his wife and child back home in Perak.
He credits his parents for introducing him to cycling as a means of steering him away from the wrong crowd after completing his SPM examinations.
“When I rode with my parents in the afternoon, I would get tired and lacked the energy to venture out late at night, which kept me out of trouble,” he reminisced, adding that his parents were willing to take out a loan and bought him a bike.
His cycling talent was quickly recognised, leading him to compete in Sukma as part of the Perak state team.
Subsequently, he joined the National Sports Council’s under-23 programme, where his exceptional cycling skills spoke for themselves and eventually paved the way for Team Sapura to take him under their wing.
Notably, at last month’s LTdL, Zawawi not only captained the national team but also guided them to a respectable fifth-place finish among Asian teams, surpassing some prominent UCI Continental teams such as JCL Team Ukyo from Japan, the Hengxiang Cycling Team from China and KSPO Professional from South Korea. – October 21, 2023
