SHAH ALAM – Japanese cyclist Shinji Nakano has issued an apology to Malaysians following a dramatic crash during the men’s keirin final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which resulted in the controversial relegation of Malaysian cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom.

In an effort to address the growing backlash, Nakano took to TikTok to express his regret for the incident that significantly impacted the final race at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome on Sunday.

The crash, involving Nakano and Shah Firdaus, also caused Great Britain’s Jack Carlin to lose control and fall, further complicating the race.

Initially, Shah Firdaus was listed as finishing in fourth place, but after a review, his result was updated to sixth, triggering frustration among Malaysian fans.

Following the incident, Nakano’s social media accounts were inundated with negative comments from Malaysian netizens, who blamed him for the crash.

In response, Nakano posted a TikTok video that has since garnered over 816,600 views and 22,000 likes. In it, he appealed for respect for his family amidst the ongoing backlash.

In the video, Nakano is seen holding a Japanese flag, accompanied by a caption that reads: “I sincerely apologise to all Malaysians for my error. Please refrain from involving my family; they bear no responsibility for this incident – it was solely my fault.”

Nakano’s apology was an attempt to quell the discontent and to request that his family be spared from the controversy surrounding the crash.

Recently, Sinar Daily reported that Malaysians have expressed outrage over the relegation of Shah Firdaus from the keirin final, demanding justice and calling for Nakano to be banned.

Social media users flooded the Paris 2024 Instagram page, accusing officials of unfairness and bias and insisting that Nakano should have been disqualified for his role in the incident.

Critics argued that race officials mishandled the crash, which affected Shah Firdaus’s performance.