Azeem named for mission up north, but not all's certain
However, national head coach Manshahar Abd Jalil stressed that this does not guarantee the national 100m record holder's participation, as Malaysia Athletics (MA) are still in talks with him.
Azeem has also been listed for two other events — 200m and 4x100m — and is among 35 athletes named in Category A, where all expenses will be fully covered by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
Manshahar described the 21-year-old as an asset to the national contingent in their medal hunt at the SEA Games, but acknowledged that the 21-year-old has commitments to Auburn University's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schedule.
'Before leaving for Odisha in India recently, I met him personally with representatives from the National Sports Council (NSC). He told us he would be returning to the United States soon to meet his coach, Ken Harnden,' said Manshahar.
'We will follow up to determine the best approach to see if he can return to Malaysia for the SEA Games. Discussions are still ongoing and this will require agreement between the coach and athlete.''
On Sunday, Azeem underlined his class by winning the men's 100m gold at the Indian Open in 10.35s, with teammate Danish Ikftikhar Mohd Roslee taking bronze in 10.50s.
Still, he has admitted to being in a dilemma over competing at the SEA Games, citing his NCAA calendar and newly commenced classes at Auburn University. He will also skip the Malaysian Open from Aug 29-31 in Kangar, Perlis.
Two years ago, the Perak-born sprinter had also missed the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, as he had just begun his studies in the United States then.
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