Malaysian teenager Muhammad Azeem runs 100m in 10.63; minister Syed Saddiq hails 14-year-old as ‘our very own Usain Bolt’
- Calls for the government to take care of the elite sports council athlete after he easily wins a domestic race for his state Perak
Sports minister Syed Saddiq has hailed teen sprint sensation Muhammad Azeem bin Mohd Fahmi, describing him as Malaysia’s “very own Usain Bolt” after he ran a blistering 10.63 seconds for the 100 metres just days before his 15th birthday.
The elite athlete with Malaysia’s schools sports council programme lowered his personal best by 0.06 of a second at a weekend meet with netizens flooding social media to pay tribute to a “future world champion”.
“Malaysia’s very own Usain Bolt,” tweeted Saddiq, comparing him to Jamaica’s nine-time Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in the men’s 100m and 200m who is now retired. “We have to make sure his talent is not wasted.”
Azeem, who turns 15 on April 29, has been on the radar for the past year for his sprinting prowess, winning gold in the boys’ 100m and 200m at last year’s SEA Youth Championships in the Philippines.
Hailing from the town of Teluk Intan in Perak state, about 250 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur, Azeem clocked a best of 10.72 seconds in November at a domestic school competition and lowered it to 10.69 in March in the Philippines.
Team Malaysia, a body that brings together various organisations to support the country’s athletes, said Azeem was a special star who needed careful nurturing if he is to become a future champion on the world stage.
