Shah Firdaus Asks Malaysians Not To Attack Japanese Cyclist Shinji Nakano On Social Media
Shinji Nakano's Instagram posts have received a flurry of negative comments from Malaysians.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 12 Aug 2024, 12:23 PM
National track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom has urged Malaysians to stop attacking Japanese cyclist Shinji Nakano following the men's keirin finals yesterday, 11 August
Shah Firdaus made the plea after Nakano was seen nudging him on the track while he was attempting to overtake, before Great Britain's Jack Carlin crashed into them from behind in the race.
The 28-year-old national rider was initially placed fourth in the finals but was later relegated to sixth.
This was due to the commissaire's decision on the matter, ruling that Shah Firdaus was responsible for the collision because he moved "inside of the track when an opponent was already there".
Nakano's Instagram account, which has 8,700 followers, has been inundated with comments from Malaysians since the finals.
Posts that typically receive around 50 comments on his profile have surged to thousands, with the first two posts garnering 36,000 and 17,000 comments, respectively.
"Next time join bumper car, not bicycle," read a top comment.
"Your mama so green," wrote a netizen, translating a common taunt in Bahasa Melayu to English.
A comment on a photo of Nakano posing with the Japanese flag, which has over 10,000 likes, even urged netizens to boycott Japan.
Many netizens also left comments featuring GIFs of the Jalur Gemilang on Nakano's posts as a sign of discontent.
Shah Firdaus urged Malaysians not to attack Nakano, stressing that the rider did not cause the crash intentionally
Speaking to Bernama at his hotel after the finals, the rider admitted that he needs time to come to terms with missing out on a medal.
"I was in a position to win a medal when I was already halfway past Nakano's bike, but suddenly my rear tyre was hit. Then, the rider (Australia's Matthew Glaetzer) who was in sixth place... who had given up chasing... finished the race in third place.
"Since this morning (11 August), I had set my mind that I could win a medal. If I hadn't challenged for a medal at all, I could accept that, but this is hard to swallow," lamented the rider, nicknamed 'Shah The Terminator'.
Meanwhile, Shah Firdaus' brother, Ridwan Sahrom, who is also a track cyclist, also urged Malaysians to stop harassing Nakano, emphasising that accidents can happen regardless of intent
"In keirin racing, everything can happen. We cannot blame or judge [hastily based on] what happens, whether it is an accident or not.
"Please remain calm and do not attack or comment anything bad on the Japanese rider's social media," Ridwan said on Instagram last night.
However, netizens argued that it was a matter of justice, expressing dissatisfaction against the outcome of the race.
Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaruddin also branded the collision as a "dirty nudge", saying that if it had not occurred, Shah Firdaus could have been on the podium.
