PETALING JAYA, Nov 3 —Azizulhasni Awang’s brave campaign at the World Cup cycling championships at Cali, Colombia, ended abruptly in pain and sorrow on Sunday.

Azizulhasni had just finished the 200m sprint in 12th placing when word got too him that his first coach Rozimi Omar had died just hours earlier in the day.

Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom the other Malaysian in the field of 42 riders was last.

Rozimi, a long time Terengganu cycling coach died from a heart attack on returning from the Asian BMX competition in Myanmar. 

He apparently collapsed at the team manager’s house in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur.

Rozimi was the unsung hero behind Azizulhasni’s rise in cycling.

The 43-year-old from Dungun was the coach who identified Azizulhasni when he was just 10 and guided him into being the champion he is today.

“I just got to know that he passed away. We messaged each other before I flew to Cali.

“That conversation to me would be our last exchange.

“Little wonder in the message, he reminisced the past that we shared together ... our ups and down. It surely hurts,” said Azizul who just completed his 200m sprint early on Sunday morning.

Fatehah Mustapa also did not progress past the first round of the women’s keirin. She finished fifth in her group and third in the subsequent repechage. Fatehah finished 17th of 27 riders in the event while Ju Pha Som Net finished the women’s omnium in 23rd of 24 riders after coming in 17th in both the time trial and flying lap.

Coach John Beasley did not expect any optimum performance from the riders as they were still under training for the Rio Olympics next year.

The second-leg of the World Cup Series will be at Cambridge, New Zealand, on Dec 5-6.