KUALA LUMPUR: Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang will sit out the rest of the season after undergoing open-heart surgery in Melbourne late last month.
The 34-year-old revealed today that he had to go for corrective heart surgery for anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery (AAORCA).
Azizul first complained of chest pain in February and was referred by the family doctor at first to a consultant heart cardiologist in Melbourne.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist went under the knife of renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Aubrey Almeida at the Epworth Richmond Hospital in Melbourne on April 21.
The procedure took three hours, and Azizulhasni was discharged from the hospital on April 26.
"I had a coronary artery anomaly, a rare condition that affects one per cent of the population. It is not caused by (physical) activity and diet. It is a birth defect.
"It tends to get worse with age, and I had felt it during the 2019-2020 period when I was preparing for the Tokyo Olympics," said Azizulhasni, also known as Pocket Rocketman.
"The recovery process will take six weeks to three months.
Following the surgery, Azizulhasni, who a bronze in keirin at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will miss the Birmingham Commonwealth and Hangzhou Asian Games later this year.
However, he is still determined to race at the 2024 Paris Olympics — his fifth appearance.
"It will not be a problem to return to training and competitions next year.
"I think my mission to compete in Paris is still very much on the cards," he added.