Malaysian sprinters Azeem, Danish qualify for India finals
The 21-year-old Azeem dominated the second heat with an impressive timing of 10.48 seconds, securing first place and automatically qualifying for the final round. His performance demonstrated the form that has made him Malaysia's premier sprinter on the international stage.
Danish Iftikhar also earned his place in the elite eight-man final field by finishing third in the same heat with a time of 10.64 seconds, ensuring both Malaysian representatives will compete for medals in tonight's championship race.
Prior to departing for India, Azeem had expressed his determination to deliver positive results for Malaysia while utilizing every international competition opportunity to improve his personal records.
'My hope for this trip to India is to perform at my absolute best, not just for myself but for the country,' the young sprinter had stated to Kosmo.
'God willing, we will attempt to better our seasonal records, and if possible, I want to establish a new personal best. Most importantly, we want to enjoy the competition and hopefully find ourselves on the podium.'
In the women's 100-meter category, Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli successfully progressed to the finals after clocking 11.97 seconds in her second heat.
However, teammate Nor Aisyah Rofina Aling fell short of qualification, recording 12.14 seconds which was insufficient to advance.
The men's 200-meter event proved disappointing for Malaysia as Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam could only manage sixth place in his second heat with a time of 21.95 seconds, missing out on the final by a considerable margin.
Tonight's 100-meter finals promise intense competition, with Azeem and Danish expected to face formidable challenges from host nation athletes and several other Southeast Asian representatives all vying for the championship title.
The Continental Tour Bronze series provides valuable international exposure for Malaysian athletes while offering crucial ranking points and preparation for major championships including the upcoming Asian Games and World Athletics events.
Both Malaysian sprinters will be looking to capitalise on their strong qualifying performances and potentially secure Malaysia's first medals at this prestigious athletics meeting.
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