KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) can forget about fielding national sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi in the 2023 World University Games (Universiade) in Chengdu, China from July 28-Aug 8.
Head of the athlete preparation committee for the Chengdu Universiade Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli confirmed that Muhammad Azeem would not be competing in China as his coach, Leroy Burrell, wants to focus on national sprint sensation’s rehabilitation process following a groin injury he suffered last month.
Based on information from Burrell, Pekan said it was crucial for the United States-based athlete to fully focus on recovering from his injury to ensure Muhammad Azeem is fit to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary from Aug 19-27.
“Muhammad Azeem has the potential to deliver a medal if he were to compete in the Chengdu Universiade.
“But, because of the injury, we had to change our plans and Muhammad Azeem’s coach also wants to ensure he is fit and ready for the World Athletics Championships,” he told Bernama.
As such, Pekan, who is also the KPT Strategic Planning Division Sports Section deputy secretary, said they would be counting on Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham to replace Muhammad Azeem in China.
He said Mohammad Thaqif has a personal best of 10.69s, which he set at the Hong Kong Athletics Championships in April.
The Chengdu Universiade was supposed to have been held from Aug 16-27 2021 but was postponed to this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Besides the World Athletics Championships, Muhammad Azeem, who holds the national men’s 100-metre (m) record of 10.09s, is also expected to compete in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in China from Sept 23-Oct 8.
Muhammad Azeem, who is studying at Auburn University in Alabama, broke the national record at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia last August, thus erasing the old mark of 10.18s set by Khairul Hafiz Jantan at the 2016 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuching, Sarawak. – BERNAMA
