National sprinter Azeem ready for Olympic action if given wildcard

National sprinter Azeem Fahmi (left) revealed that he suffered several minor injuries that saw him sit out several races. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: National sprint king Azeem Fahmi says he is prepared for action at the 2024 Paris Olympics if he is handed the wildcard by the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF).

The Perak-born athlete, however, said if he failed to get the wildcard he would compete in the Malaysia Games (Sukma), Bernama reported.

“Of course I will try my best, and on returning to Malaysia, I will train harder,” he was quoted as saying.

Azeem reiterated that he would accept MAF’s decision should it not favour him. He had previously said he would not feel “slighted or disappointed” if he did not secure the wildcard.

He also revealed that he suffered several minor injuries that saw him sit out several races, but said he was not trying to make excuses.

“But now I’m getting better, mentally and physically.”

The MAF selection committee has to choose between Azeem or Shereen Samson Vallabouy, both national record holders and bronze medallists at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, held last year.

Last week FMT reported that some top MAF officials were of the view that Shereen – the national record holder in the women’s 200m as well as 400m indoor and outdoor events – should be given the nod ahead of Azeem, whose performance had been on the decline in recent months.

They said Shereen’s blistering bursts in the 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay suggest that she has the potential to break the 31-year-old national women’s 100m record of 11.5s set by G Shanti in 1993.

Azeem, on the other hand, has not come close recently to matching his own national 100m record of 10.09s, set two years ago.

Malaysia received a “universal” wildcard ticket after Azeem and Shereen, both based in the US, failed to make the cut for the Olympics in their respective events by the end of the qualification and ranking period.