Raya cheer as Azeem sparkles with two medals

PETALING JAYA: National sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi (pic) made a confident start to his outdoor season by finishing second at the Yellow Jacket Invitational held at the George C Griffin Track in Atlanta on Friday.

The Auburn University athlete, returning to competition after the fasting month, marked Hari Raya Aidilfitri in unique fashion on the track by clocking 10.33s to finish behind Cameron Crump, who won the race in 10.20s.

Azeem’s former Auburn teammate Makanakaishe Charamba came in third, just 0.01s behind with a time of 10.34s.

The 21-year-old, who is in his final year at Auburn, described the race as a positive return following Ramadan.

“It is a good start after the fasting month, and the aim is to go through a gradual process as the season progresses,” said Azeem, who holds the national record with a time of 10.09s.

“I would also say it is nice to start the season on Raya. The mindset for this outdoor season is simple – to keep going and believe that things will come my way. Whatever it is, I will learn and grow.”

Since earning a full scholarship to Auburn in 2022, Azeem has not celebrated Hari Raya with his family in Teluk Intan, Perak, due to his athletics and academic commitments.

He also played a key role in helping Auburn win the men’s 4x100m relay final, clocking 39.75s on Saturday – currently the third fastest time in the ongoing NCAA season – alongside Ian Myers, Tyler Davis and Alejandro Cardenas.

Auburn head coach Leroy Burrell described the meet as an important early-season outing.

“The weekend was a bit of a rust-buster for the athletes who have not competed since the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and even earlier for some,” he said.

“We are looking to build stronger groups to compete for us and challenge for bigger honours as the outdoor season progresses.”