KUALA LUMPUR – National sprinters Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy’s remarkable feats at the Hangzhou Asian Games have not only broken Malaysia’s long-standing medals drought, but also serve as inspiration for the next generation to aim high on the global stage.
Speaking to Scoop, former national athletes praised their success in their respective categories, highlighting the significance of their achievements.
Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan, known as the “Flying Doctor of Malaysia” by fans, expressed his admiration for the athletes’ performance.
“I’m really impressed with both of their victories, and it’s not easy for our local athletes in the current age to compete against the bigger powerhouse nations in athletics and achieve third place in Asia.
“Both Azeem and Shereen have the potential to go further, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they both end up winning the Olympics or the World Championships one day,” said Jegathesan.
The 79-year-old, who was once the fastest man in Asia, capturing a hat-trick of gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m men’s relay events at the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games, believes that the athletes’ success should serve as a catalyst for the development of athletic programmes in Malaysia.
“They have done their part and now it’s up to the governing body to further elevate the necessities required for them to achieve more in this sport.
“Their victory is a stimulus for the country and the need for enhanced development of the sport in our country,” Jegathesan added.
Meanwhile, Noraseela Mohd Khalid, who broke onto the scene with a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles event at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, echoed a similar sentiment.
She said that Shereen’s victory is a testament to her hard work and hopes to see her continue to prevail on the international stage.
“I have been observing Shereen for a while now, and she has improved tremendously over the years.
“It’s great to see her maintaining her winning form, especially after recently winning gold in the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games.
“She has put in so much effort to achieve this feat, and I pray that she continues to achieve more success in international events.
“We need more young athletes like Shereen and Azeem in the sport, and I hope that their victory will inspire our youngsters to venture into this high-performance sport and emulate their success,” said Noraseela.
Yesterday, Azeem secured a historic bronze medal in the men’s 100m event, 41 years after the last national athlete reached such heights in the Asian Games.
He finished 0.14 seconds behind the gold medalist from China, Xie Zhenye, who completed the race in 9.97 seconds.
The previous instance of Malaysia claiming a medal in the 100m event was in 1982, when Datuk Rabuan Pit achieved this feat.
Simultaneously, Shereen made her own mark by ending Malaysia’s 17-year medal drought in the women’s 400m event on the same day. – October 2, 2023