PETALING JAYA: National sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi (pic) has set his sights on a clean, injury-free race at the Oman Athletics Grand Prix which will allow him to clock a time that meets the qualifying mark for the upcoming Asian Games.
The 22-year-old will leave for Oman on Thursday ahead of the meet on Sept 5, which forms part of a busy schedule that also includes a 10-day training camp in Japan before the Asiad starting from Sept 19-Oct 4.
Looking ahead to that stretch, Azeem said his priority is mental preparation rather than chasing results under pressure.
“I’m in good shape right now. The focus is to stay injury-free, prepare mentally, and avoid putting extra pressure on myself,” he said. “I run best when I just run freely.”
Azeem’s comments came after his outing at the World Athletics (WA) Silver Level Continental Tour at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India, where he clocked 10.29s.
It capped a season in which he equalled his own national record of 10.09s at the NCAA Division One East First Round in Kentucky last May, shortly before wrapping up his collegiate career at Auburn University.
He followed that up with gold at the Asian Under-23 Championships in Ordos, China, in July, clocking 10.17s.
Reflecting on his run in India, Azeem admitted a physical setback had affected his performance, although he remained upbeat about his overall form.
“I suffered a cramp in my calf before the race, which I think is why I couldn’t finish properly,” he said.
“Still, I’m grateful that I managed to run a 10.29s under those conditions – it’s acceptable, but there’s definitely room for improvement.”
Azeem will be aiming for another strong showing at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, three years after claiming a 100m bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
The Teluk Intan-born sprinter clocked 10.11s to finish third in China, a result that cemented his status as Malaysia’s top sprinter and he has consistently clocked sub-10.4s in most competitions since.
