Sprinter aims to build on NCAA relay record as he eyes to rule Asia

Working hard: Mohd Azeem Fahmi (left) says he still has plenty to improve to be one of the best sprinters in Asia. — AFP

PETALING JAYA: With the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) season drawing to a close, national sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi is already looking ahead to a packed international schedule.

The 22-year-old will be competing in the Malaysian Open at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang next week, followed by the Asian Under-23 Champion­ships in Ordos, China, from July 9-12 and the Asian Games in Japan in September.

Azeem is hoping to translate what he had learnt after going through mixed fortunes in the NCAA over the past months.

“There is still plenty of room for me to improve, stay patient, and trust the process,” said Azeem.

“These upcoming championships will be the perfect platform for me to showcase what I can do and establish myself as one of the best in Asia.”

On Wednesday, Azeem was part of the Auburn University’s record-breaking 4x100m relay squad that clocked a stunning 37.75s at the NCAA Out­door Track and Field Cham­pion­ships.

They shattered the previous collegiate record of 37.90s set by Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2023.

The blistering semi-final run by the Auburn quartet, comprising Azeem, Kayinsola Ajayi, Austin Kresley and Tyler Davis, also placed them among the fastest relay teams in the world history, ranking inside the all-time top 15.

It capped a remarkable day for the Tigers, which also saw Auburn teammate Ja’Kobe Tharp break the world record in the 110m hurdles with a time of 12.75s.

“This year’s NCAA National Championship was a world-class meet,” said Azeem, who acknowledged the enormity of the achievement while keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“The focus is now entirely on executing and winning everything on Friday.”

The men’s team championship title remains Auburn’s primary goal as the competition heads into its final day.

However, Azeem’s day was not without disappoint­ment. He failed to advance beyond the 100m preliminary round, finishing fourth in heat two with a time of 10.21s, placing him 17th overall among the 23 sprinters in the field.

Heat winner Israel Okon clocked 10.07s, ahead of Middle Tennessee’s Mustapha Bokpin (10.09s) and Houston’s Louis Hinchliffe (10.18s).

Azeem was philosophical about the setback.

“I fell a bit short, but I’m still grateful,” he said.

“If I had stayed more focused and not overthought the race, I might have made the final. “But I can’t complain about a 10.21s finish as it’s still one of my personal top-10 times, and most importantly, I finished healthy.”