Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom is preparing to contest for a medal in the keirin event at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, scheduled from September 28 to October 2, after recovering from a significant knee injury. The 29-year-old Malaysian cyclist acknowledges he must improve his explosive acceleration, which was notably lacking at last month’s Commonwealth Games.
Shah Firdaus underwent surgery last year to address a trochlear cleft lesion in his right knee, an injury initially sustained during strength training. Despite the injury, he continued to compete, securing a bronze medal in the individual sprint at the Asian Championships in Nilai before missing the World Championships in Chile, where the injury required stem-cell treatment and subsequent surgery in October. The operation led to a prolonged rehabilitation process and muscle wastage in his right leg.
Since returning to international competition in April, Shah Firdaus has shown promising signs of recovery. He clinched the sprint and keirin double titles at the Indonesia Track Cup in May and earned a silver medal in the keirin at the Japan Track Cup, finishing behind Japan’s reigning Asian Games champion Ota Kaiya Ota. In June, he also reclaimed the national elite keirin title by defeating senior teammate Azizulhasni Awang, marking his first national victory in the event since 2022.
Reflecting on his performance at the Commonwealth Games, where he missed advancing from the keirin semi-finals and ultimately placed seventh, Shah Firdaus identified his lack of acceleration as the main issue. In the individual sprint, he qualified 10th with a time of 9.805 seconds but was eliminated in the round of 16 by Australia’s Daniel Barber.
“The coach is now focusing on my acceleration. I could see that my leg was still lacking the acceleration at the Commonwealth Games,” Shah Firdaus said. “Once I get up to speed, I can just go for it. The only problem is transitioning from slow speed to high speed.”
He believes that tactical understanding and race positioning are critical in the keirin, which may give him an advantage despite his current physical limitations. “If we look at my performance from the Commonwealth Games, I am confident that we can advance to the later rounds. It won’t be easy, but I am confident in my performance and I can deliver something, especially in the keirin,” he added.
Shah Firdaus remains cautious regarding the individual sprint, which relies heavily on sheer power, an area still affected by his rehabilitation. Nevertheless, his recent results indicate a steady progression as he aims to make an impact at the Asian Games.