KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s running sensation, Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, has opted out of a prestigious training camp in Germany, choosing instead to stay in Malaysia.
This bold move aims to leverage the National Sports Institute’s (NSI) expertise as he prepares for the Paris Olympics starting on July 26.
Azeem was initially slated to join a central training camp in Stuttgart, organised by his American coach Ken Harnden, alongside four Auburn University teammates who will be competing in Paris.
However, Azeem, aware that his recent 100m timings have not been impressive this season, is banking on the NSI’s guidance to salvage his performance with about two weeks left before the Olympics officially begins.
The Perak-born athlete is now undergoing final preparations at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil, under the supervision of his former coach Muhammad Amir Izwan Tan Abdullah and Malaysia Athletics Federation technical director Robert Ballard.
Additionally, sports science expert Jad Adrian Washif will assist him with biomechanical analysis and performance assessment to identify his strengths and weaknesses.
“I was supposed to depart for Germany today, but I made the decision not to go. I will stay here, at the NSC and NSI, and utilise all the facilities provided by the Malaysian team,” said Azeem to Scoop.
Azeem’s personal best this season is 10.36sec, and he will be competing in Paris through a universal slot after failing to achieve a sub-10sec time to qualify on merit.
In contrast, his Auburn teammates Favour Ashe and Kayinsola Ajayi have posted impressive times of 9.94sec and 10.01sec, respectively, and will represent Nigeria.
Other Auburn teammates Dario Matau and Makanakaishe Charamba will compete for South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“I’m feeling good staying here and not facing any issues. As many know, my season hasn’t gone as I expected.
“It’s a good time for me to meditate, isolate myself and focus on myself. I find it very beneficial for now because I don’t want to overthink when training with fast-paced individuals.
“They are definitely in a ready state. I won’t deny that I am also ready, but I want to ensure I am positive and surrounded by positivity here, so that’s one of the reasons,” Azeem added. – July 11, 2024