NILAI, Oct 11 — Despite being seen as approaching a fall in her performance, national track cycling queen, Fatehah Mustapa refused to fly the ‘white flag’ and put a stop to her career.
On the other hand, the 29-year-old Terengganu-born rider was optimistic that with focus and hard training she would be able to return to her best level and realise her dream of contributing a medal to the country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“For me, my time is not over. I am still in the middle (between the beginning and the end of my career) and have not yet achieved my ultimate goal. There are still a few months for me to practice and go back to the best level as before.
“My main mission is to bring home a medal from Tokyo and what is most important today is to qualify for the Olympics. Then we will begin to think of ways to be in the podium position in Tokyo, “she said when met by Bernama at the 2018 Southeast Asian Track GP Championship at the National Velodrome, Nilai here today.
The winner of the gold medals at the keirin event at the 2012 Asian Championship and sprint (2013) said it was not easy to qualify for the 2020 Olympics as there were changes in the qualifying conditions this time, but she was prepared to face every challenge.
“It’s actually really difficult to collect points to get into the Olympics as it has many stages and the new qualifying conditions make the competition very stiff. But I hope before the 2019 World Championship, I will be in the top 15 to confirm a place in Tokyo, “she said.
Fatehah had been criticised prior to this by several parties due to her uncertain performance at the international championship stage including failing to bring any medal from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Following her dismal performance, Fatehan, who won the keirin silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea thus creating history as the country’s first female to win a medal in the cycling event, was also dropped from the country’s squad to the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
She also trained separately from the country’s elite squad who were undergoing training in Melbourne, Australia.
In the meantime, national head coach John Beasely conceded that Fatehah was a talented rider but only hard work and focus would determine whether she would be able to be in action at the 2020 Olympics or not.
“I think it’s well document she’s not in a great shape. She said she is committed to try and make it to the Olympics. So we’ll take her word for it and do everything we can on our side but she must start actually to think a lot more from her side.
“She is a quality cyclist and if she can get her passion back and she can put the work in...of course it’s going be hard for her because she is so far behind. So she needs to be in really good condition in 12 months time to really get some big points,” he said. — Bernama
