KUALA LUMPUR – Perak Athletics Association president Datuk Karim Ibrahim hopes national sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi will become the first Malaysian to clock under 10s for the 100m event.
The 18-year-old made his indoor debut for Auburn University, where he is currently studying, at the 2023 Texas Tech Open meet yesterday and broke the national record in the men’s 60m indoor sprint event.
“We at the association are very proud and happy for Azeem because he is a Perak-born athlete and has been supported by the Perak Sports Council.
“We should call him the ‘Flying Malaysian Sprinter’,” he told The Vibes today.
Azeem previously broke the national 100m record with 10.09s at the U-20 World Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia.
“We never thought that we could set a time of 10.09s with a local coach. The thanks for that goes to coach Amir Izwan Tan Abdullah.
“We feel that Azeem’s performance and hard work will make him the first Malaysian sprinter to go under 10s. That is our dream.
“Another thing to remember is that he is doing these fantastic things at a very young age.
“He has already broken two national records, and both were done overseas.”
Karim added that Azeem’s momentum will serve as a stimulus for other Perak athletes to push themselves harder in sprint events.
“It is also good for others to follow in his footsteps, not just in training but also in education. I see that Azeem is good in both his academics as well as athletics, he is an intelligent student.”
He also thanked the Perak government for its support towards Azeem’s education at Auburn.
“We will keep in touch with the Perak Sports Council and state government on his development.
“We will also look into assistance and support that can be given to him.” – The Vibes, January 28, 2023
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