Tekun buat " Come Back 2007 " Hafiz Sufian Menjadi.

Hafiz Sufian semasa aksi Kejohanan Mini Olimpik.

Selepas projek AsiaCom 2006 ramai pelumba elit negara hilang arah dan hilang tumpuan untuk meneruskan karier mereka bagi mencari pekerjaan tetap untuk masa depan diri sendiri. Antaranya Hafiz Sufian, Junaidi, Rizal Tisin yang mengambil keputusan untuk bersara lebih awal.

Hafiz mengejutkan pihak berbasikal dan peminat tanah air atas keputusan itu walaupun hati ingin meneruskan perjuangan mengharumkan Sukan Berbasikal Negara Malaysia. Beliau yang hilang selama setahun akhirnya mengambil keputusan untuk berbakti untuk negara Malaysia.

Berstatus bujang, beliau mendapat sokongan dengan hati terbuka oleh MNCF dan juga Cawangan Pelapis Kebangsaan MSN dengan bersyarat tanpa elaun, penginapan serta basikal latihan jika menunjukan prestasi terbaik serta kejayaan. Dia di sokong penuh oleh ibubapa serta Persatuan Lumba Basikal Selangor untuk meneruskan hasrat itu walaupun syarat yang di terima memerlukan full commitment yang kuat.

Permulaan "come back" beliau amat perit dengan kos latihan, masa dan sebagainya yang perlu di tanggung. Dengan hati yang kental beliau menunjukan pretasi segera di SUKMA Terengganu 2008 serta memenangi pingat perak bagi acara Keirin pada kejohanan Asian Cup Bangkok 2008.

Doa restu dan sokongan Ibu Hafiz yang banyak membantu kejayaannya. Syabas Ibu!

Kejayaannya masih di nilai walaupun beliau berjaya memenangi beberapa pingat luar negara. Syarat demi syarat Hafiz ketika itu mendapat sambutan baik oleh pihak projek membenarkan beliau mengunakan kemudahan seperti pelumba yang di bawah kontrak projek Negara kecuali elaun bulanan.

Hasrat beliau untuk berlatih di pangkalan Melbourne di tunaikan oleh John Beasley yang memberi peluang serta kepercayaan kepadanya untuk membuktikan dirinya tulus ikhlas bersama mengibarkan bendera negara Malaysia. Sejak dari itu, Hafiz turun dengan semangat berganda dan di geruni rakan sepasukan yang lain untuk membuktikan Hafiz Sufian yang terbaik dan inginkan status lamanya digenggam semula.

"Saya telah langsaikan syarat berkenaan dan bantu saya pergi lebih jauh, terima kasih menyokong saya selama ini Malaysia".

Beliau perlu tahu peminat tanah air inginkan ketekunan serta kejayaan yang di kecapi olehnya akan berhasil pada setiap kayuhan sehingga menjelangnya sukan terbesar di dunia Sukan Olimpik 2012 dan berharap menghadiahkan sebutir pingat dari sukan berbasikal julung-julung kalinya.

PELUMBA DI DAHULUKAN,PENCAPAIAN DI UTAMAKAN

Hafiz rises to the challenge

Hafiz Sufian won silver in the 1km time trial and a bronze in the keirin.

2010/04/16

Arnaz M. Khairul
arnaz@nst.com.my

HAFIZ Sufian resurrected his career by providing the saving grace for the national track team at the Asian Cycling Championships in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, yesterday.

When all the expectations were on world number one Azizul Hasni Awang to deliver, it was Hafiz who returned with two medals -- a silver in the 1km time trial and a bronze in the keirin as the senior squad took a huge blow to their egos.

Hafiz, a replacement for Rizal Tisin as the main 1km time trial rider, did well to retain the silver medal, which was won by the latter in last year's meet.

Hafiz clocked 1:06.562s while China's Han Tao retained the gold medal with a time of 1:05.277s.

The keirin was expected to be a walk in the park for World Championships silver medallist Azizul, but the 22-year-old failed to make the final, leaving Hafiz to battle alone.

Hafiz, who was last year's silver medallist in the keirin, lost out to the duo of Kazunari Watanabe and Kazuya Narita, who repeated a one-two finish for Japan.

"I was a bit anxious to know how the races would pan out here, after hearing so many complaints about the heat, the dust and the bumpy track at the Zayed Velodrome," said Hafiz.

"I just thought that no matter where we competed, we just have to race to win. I got the two medals which I'm really thankful for and it makes me want to go for more."

It was a satisfying day for Hafiz, who had quit the sport for two years before making a return last year.

In the Asian Junior Championships held simultaneously,

Malaysia won two bronze medals through Mohd Arfy Qhairant Amran in the keirin and the team pursuit of Shahrilwan Shaari, Hamdan Hamidun, Mohd. Al Ghazali Hamid dan Amirul Amar Jafri.

Nurazimah Abdul Rashid delivered a bronze medal in the junior women's points race.

Asian Championships: Jupha gifts herself a silver

Jupha Sonet won silver in the junior 500m time trial at the Asian Championships yesterday.
2010/04/15

Arnaz M. Khairul
arnaz@nst.com.my

MALAYSIA'S first medal from the Asian Cycling Championships in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates came from the most unlikely source -- Jupha Sonet in the junior women's 500m time trial.

That came on a day when the crack team sprint combination of Azizul Hasni Awang, Harrif Salleh and Rizal Tisin finished a disappointing fifth, when they were expected to be in the running to defend the gold medal they won last year.

Men's individual pursuit rider Akmal Amrun also failed to make the knockout stages, while Fatehah Mustapha, on paper a medal contender in the women's 500m time trial, also suffered the disappointment of finishing fifth in her event.

It was the first medal on the international stage for 17-year-old Jupha, who hails from Chuping, Perlis, as she clocked 39.972s to bag the silver behind South Korea's Lee Hye Jin, who clocked 36.698s, while Taiwan's Lin Chia Hui bagged the bronze (40.510s).

"I was confident of bagging a medal even if this was my first time competing at the Asian level," said Jupha, who turns 17 on April 26.

"This is the best birthday present I could give myself. I'm also happy to be the first to deliver a medal for the country in this meet, especially after the disappointment of losing out in the road race, in which I was also targeting a medal."
Jupha Sonet won silver in the junior 500m time trial at the Asian Championships yesterday.
Jupha Sonet won silver in the junior 500m time trial at the Asian Championships yesterday.

The team sprint must have been the biggest disappointment, especially since head coach John Beasley took a gamble in dropping Edrus Yunos on Tuesday, to be replaced by Harrif.

It didn't pay off, but Rizal accepted the blame for the dismal performance.

"We clocked a slow time. It was all my fault, as I had a bad start and on the opening lap I couldn't get myself close enough to be tucked in behind Harrif," said Rizal.

"I didn't have enough preparation for the standing start, so it all went bad. But it is okay for us to lose out and suffer disappointments some time, and better now, because we're just starting off our Olympic qualifying campaign. We'll have to improve from here on."

Rizal is on his first big assignment since returning to training following a broken ankle suffered in a freak hit-and-run accident last October.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/2hecsa/Article/index_html

Jupha raih perak di ACC

JUPHA (kiri) meraikan kejayaan menangi perak acara 500 meter ujian masa bersama pemenang emas, Hye Jin (tengah) dan gangsa, Chia Hui pada ACC 2010 di UAE, semalam.

PELUMBA remaja, Jupha Somnet menghadiahkan pingat pertama buat negara apabila meraih tempat kedua acara 500 meter ujian masa di Kejohanan Lumba Basikal Asia 2010 (ACC 2010) di Velodrom Zayed, Sharjah, Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) semalam.

Anak kelahiran Chuping, Perlis keturunan Siam itu yang tampil kali pertama dalam kancah pertandingan remaja ACC merakam masa 39.972 saat untuk menamatkan kemarau pingat selepas skuad lebuh raya pulang ke tanah air, semalam dengan tangan kosong.
Pingat emas dimenangi pelumba Korea Selatan, Lee Hye Jin yang mencatat 36.698s manakala gangsa dikucup pelumba Taiwan, Lin Chia Hui 40.510s.
“Saya memang sudah jangka boleh menang walaupun ini kali pertama saya bertanding dalam kategori remaja,” katanya. Anak keempat daripada lima adik beradik itu menganggap kemenangan berkenaan adalah hadiah terbaik sempena ulang tahun kelahiran ke-17 pada 26 April ini.

Jupha yang akan menyertai lima acara dalam kategori remaja ACC 2010 percaya kemenangannya akan membakar semangat pelumba lain meraih lebih banyak pingat lagi khususnya menerusi acara keirin dan pecut lelaki elit.

Suasana gembira yang menyelubungi kem Malaysia bagaimanapun bertukar sayu apabila pelumba wanita harapan negara, Fatehah Mustafa gagal mengulangi pencapaian cemerlang sebagaimana diperagakan di ACC 2008 di Nara, Osaka, Jepun dan ACC 2009 di Banjarmasin, Indonesia apabila sekadar mendapat tempat kelima.

Sementara itu, pasukan pecut berpasukan remaja negara sekadar melangkah ke pertandingan penentuan tempat ketiga menentang pasukan Korea Selatan apabila tercicir 51 saat di belakang Jepun dan Korea Selatan.
Harapan mengulangi emas tahun lalu menerusi pecut berpasukan lelaki elit juga tidak kesampaian apabila gandingan Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, Mohd Rizal Tisin, Mohamad Hafiz Suffian dan Harrif Salleh sekadar di tangga kelima selepas pusingan kelayakan semalam.

Azizulhasni yang memang tidak meletak harapan tinggi dalam acara pecut berpasukan kali ini, bertekad mahu menebus kekecewaan keirin tahun lalu dan memastikan emas 200 meter pecut kekal miliknya apabila kedua-dua acara kegemarannya berlangsung hari ini dan esok.

JADUAL HARI INI
(dari 1 ptg - 10 mlm)

Kejar-mengejar berpasukan (perempuan, remaja lelaki, lelaki elit)
1 km ujian masa (remaja lelaki)
Pecut (perempuan, wanita elit)
Keirin (remaja lelaki, lelaki elit)
Scratch (remaja lelaki)
Perlumbaan mata 20 km (wanita elit)
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/JupharaihperakdiACC/Article