PETALING JAYA: National top male runner Mohd Azeem Fahmi’s golden dash lit up the Indian Open, but Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli’s absence cast a shadow on Malaysia’s sprint scene.
In Sunday’s race at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Azeem stormed to victory in the men’s 100m with a time of 10.35s.
Adding to the joy, fellow Malaysian Danish Iftikhar Mohd Roslee clinched bronze in 10.50s, while Sri Lanka’s Chamod Yodhasinghe took silver in 10.43s.
However, it was a different story in the women’s 100m final when top hope Zaidatul was mysteriously absent from the starting line. She had, in fact, complained of a slight injury to her right leg after completing the heats.
She had recorded a time of 11.97s in the heats, which was enough to qualify for the final before her withdrawal.
National head coach Manshahar Abd Jalil, however, remains positive despite the contrasting fortunes of his charges at the Indian Open.
Manshahar believes Azeem’s performance has been remarkably consistent after he clocked 10.35s in the final.
It was the same time he recorded at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, two weeks ago, although it was not enough to win gold as he had to settle for a fourth place.
This was also the third time this year Azeem had clocked the same time, having first done so at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Kentucky last May.
For Manshahar, it was still a commendable mark, even if it was some way off his season’s best of 10.20s set at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds in Florida.
Azeem’s national record of 10.09s, set three years ago at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia, remains untouched but Manshahar is fine with it.
“His performance has been quite consistent, and the athletes competing at the Indian Open are strong competitors. In fact, this tournament was not the main target for him to achieve his best,” said Manshahar when contacted.
“As for Danish, he is a young athlete gaining valuable international exposure, and winning bronze with a time of 10.50s is a very positive outcome for him.”
Regarding Zaidatul’s situation, Manshahar explained that he is currently awaiting a full medical report from the National Sports Institute (NSI).
However, he believes the injury is not serious and that Zaidatul should be able to make a full recovery soon.
“I think it was good that she qualified for the final. After her heat, she complained not of an injury but of discomfort,” said Manshahar.
“Her decision to withdraw was a wise and an appropriate one because we don’t want to risk a more serious injury,” he added.
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