Career ending injury sets him out to train back-up squad’s sprint cyclists

The Star
30 May 2011
By LIM TEIK HUAT


KUALA LUMPUR: Injuries forced track cyclist Junaidi Nasir to give up his Olympic dream and go into retirement. But he has not severed ties with the sport.

Junaidi, who was previously with the likes of Azizulhasni Awang and Josiah Ng in the national training base in Melbourne, has turned to coaching and is now committed to helping young talent realise their goals.

The 27-year-old Junaidi came down with a back injury four months before he was supposed to go for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and had to undergo surgery.


Work cut out: Junaidi Nasir says the back-up squad does not have enough sprinters.
He braved the long road to recovery after surgery and was back on the saddle again. Then, Junaidi suffered a slipped disc while doing gym training last year and was subsequently ruled out of the Commonwealth Games and Asiad.

“I was told that I had to go for another operation and that was when I knew that my days as a cyclist were over,” he said.

“I have not gone for the second operation and I have a numb feeling on one part of my lower back and right leg. I can’t go jogging at the moment.

“But I don’t feel as bad as when I suffered the first injury. Then, I cried after the doctor told me to rest for some time.

“I was very sad as I knew I had to let go of my place in the Olympic team sprint. Just imagine, four years of hard work to get the team to qualify for the first time and I had to give up my place.”

After he suffered the second injury, Junaidi made up his mind to apply for a coaching job.

“I was offered to remain in Melbourne as a coach to help John (Beasley) with the elite squad,” he said.

“However, I decided to come back to help the back-up sprint squad. We currently do not have enough sprinters and we do not even have a third man for the team sprint as Rizal Tisin is now doing BMX.

“The pressure is the same whether in elite or back-up, so I think I can fit in. I am also learning at the same time.”

Junaidi spent six years in the training base in Melbourne and was part of the first Malaysian team sprint combination to win a gold medal in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.

Together with another local track coach, Soud Hussin, Junaidi have worked with the back-up cyclists for the last few weeks.

“The cyclists will be representing their respective states for Sukma (Malaysia Games) later this week,” he said.

“They will be going all out to fight for gold as the states are offering good incentives. We are happy to do our job preparing them. After all, the ultimate goal is still for them to ride for the country.”