Malaysian cyclist faces action over ‘Save Gaza’ protest at Commonwealth Games
The Malaysian Insider – 3 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
- Malaysian cyclist faces action over ‘Save Gaza’ protest at Commonwealth Games
As Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang made it to the quarterfinals of the men's cycling event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday, two words which appeared on his gloves did not sit well with the Games authorities.
As he reached the finishing line, his fists with the message "Save Gaza", a reference to the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territories which have so far killed over 800, were shown to the cameras.
Commonwealth Games Federation said the incident could be in breach of a rule avoiding "politics" in the Games, and said it will “contact the Malaysian chef de mission to discuss the incident and take any action," reported the Associated Press.
On his Twitter and Facebook fan page, Azizulhasni, who has close to 40,000 Twitter followers and more than 200,000 likes, posted pictures of his plea for the Palestinians.
"Alhamdulillah won my 1st round, 1/4 tomorrow against Kiwi but team sprint qualify first this evening. Plz make doa," he tweeted in a post which has been retweeted some 1,100 times at press time, with many wishing him well for his race today.
Azizulhasni's (pic) protest came as the death toll in Israeli shellings of Gaza climbed to 800. Malaysians are largely sympathetic towards the Palestinians, with both sides of the political divide condemning the latest attacks on civilians.
The 28-year old Terengganu-born and father of two, who was the flag bearer for the Malaysian contingent at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, won the gold medals at the Asian Cycling Championships in April 2008.
In February 2011, a crash during the final of the World Cup keirin event in Manchester sent him out of the tournament. – July 25, 2014.
