KUALA LUMPUR – Not participating in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games on Friday does not concern Malaysia’s sensational sprinter Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, as he is putting all his attention on preparations for the 100-metre event.
Azeem is currently the only Malaysian athlete yet to check in for the Olympics, as he will depart for Paris on Sunday, two days after the opening ceremony.
The 20-year-old Azeem explained that he doesn’t mind skipping the parade because he is focused on improving his 100m event record.
Upon arriving in Paris, Azeem will have approximately five days to prepare before his event, which starts on August 3.
“It’s okay, for me, my goal is to ensure that this won’t be my first and last Olympics. Of course, for the next Olympics in Los Angeles 2028, my aim is to qualify on merit, and by then, there might be greater opportunities, perhaps even the chance to participate in the parade.
“I am okay, as long as I compete in the Olympics, that’s our primary goal. I want to perform at my best not just for myself but also for the country.
“This is the biggest stage in the world of sports, and I want to showcase what I’m capable of, set aside everything else off the track, and focus 100% on my performance and race day in Paris,” said Azeem when met at Bukit Jalil Stadium today.
Meanwhile, Azeem received an additional boost when he received a sponsorship from Japanese sports company Mizuno ahead of his participation in the Paris Olympics.
Earlier, several top national athletes said they would be unable to participate in the Malaysian contingent’s parade at the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony at the Seine River, including the badminton and cycling squads.
It is understood that only a few national athletes will participate in the opening event on Friday, including jumpers, sailors, and golfers.
At the same time, Azeem said he was also inspired to draw good results in Paris after his Auburn University teammate, Kayinsola Ajayi, was successful in setting a new personal best record this season, clocking 10.00 seconds at the Luzerne Athletics Championship in Switzerland last week.
In addition to Ajayi, three more of Azeem’s teammates from Auburn are competing in the Olympics, consisting of Favour Ashe from Nigeria, Dario Matau from South Africa, and Makanakaishe Charamba representing Zimbabwe.
“Of course, I’m proud of him (Ajayi) because he’s my teammate. He came late this year, and he is a first-year freshman. The fact that he broke his personal record (PR) six times this year, from 10.28 to 10.00 seconds, is amazing and has never been done by any other athlete. He’s a different breed and a highly motivated athlete.
“I take him as a reason to keep going and stay highly motivated and look forward to competing with them in the Olympics.
“My goal is to be with them because we are teammates, to bring Auburn’s product to the world stage, so that we can prove our performance in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) is not an illusion, not a one-hit wonder. I want to ensure that we are top athletes in the NCAA,” he added. – July 24, 2024
