National teen sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi wants to dash the nickname ‘Usain Bolt of Malaysia’ in his appearance at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia, from Aug 1-6.
Muhammad Azeem, who will race in the 100m and 200m, said the prestigious tournament is his best opportunity to create a name for himself and prove to the world who he really is.
“Before this I may have been dubbed Usain Bolt of Malaysia, but personally I want people to know me as Azeem Fahmi instead of Usain Bolt of Malaysia. I also want to prove to everyone that I am not a one-year wonderboy.
“I will try my utmost to prove that I can not only perform in the country but also abroad,“ he said when met at a simulation session of the ‘false start’ system with other national sprinters at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
At the same time, the 18-year-old athlete said that Jamaican sprint legend Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder, has a different character altogether, making him want to stamp his own trademark.
“I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe my fortune will be further ahead or maybe I can emerge on the world stage now, (so) will people (then) recognise me as Usain Bolt or Azeem Fahmi?” he asked.
Ahead of the championships in Cali, Muhammad Azeem has been a revelation for Malaysia, recording personal bests in the sprints - 10.28s in the 100m last June and 20.89s in the 200m a month later.
Muhammad Azeem said he realised it would be a world-class field in Cali but this would not dampen his spirit or distract his focus.
“The presence of faster athletes there may to some extent spur me to run faster, and my goal is just to break my personal records, and with some luck, the national marks,“ he said, adding that he would be out to enjoy his run in Colombia.
The national 100m record of 10.18s is held by 2017 SEA Games gold medallist Khairul Hafiz Jantan, who set it in 2016 while the 200m record of 20.77s was established by Russel Alexander Nasir Taib in 2019.
The world junior championships could also be the stage for Muhammad Azeem to atone for his failure at the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam last May, where he was disqualified for a false start in the 100m heats.
In addition to Muhammad Azeem, three other national athletes going for the world junior meet are Elvin Yap (men’s 110m hurdles), Jonah Chang (men’s shot put) and Muhammad Shah Sholihin (men’s triple jump). - Bernama