Azeem, Umaira advance to 100m semi-finals
PETALING JAYA – Malaysia’s sprint champion Muhammad Azeem Fahmi qualified for the men’s 100 metre semi‑final at the Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya on Saturday, posting a personal best of 10.17 seconds in the fifth heat at…
Source: Utusan Malaysia · September 25, 2026 at 1:31 AM · AI-assisted report
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AICHI-NAGOYA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 —
PETALING JAYA – Malaysia’s sprint champion Muhammad Azeem Fahmi qualified for the men’s 100 metre semi‑final at the Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya on Saturday, posting a personal best of 10.17 seconds in the fifth heat at Nagoya’s Mizuho Sports Stadium.
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Azeem’s calm finish secured the top spot in his heat, while Singapore’s Marc Brian Louis claimed second place with 10.33 seconds and Taiwan’s Chun‑han Yang took third in 10.38 seconds, both also advancing to the semi‑finals. Malaysia’s second male sprinter, Muhammad Umaira Subri, earned a semi‑final berth by finishing fourth in the first heat with a time of 10.43 seconds, improving on his previous best of 10.44 seconds set at the Malaysia Open in June.
The heats were dominated by Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, who won the opening race in 9.95 seconds, followed by China’s Keli Zeng in 10.22 seconds and India’s Animesh Kujur in 10.36 seconds, all of whom also moved on to the next round. Umaira’s fourth‑place finish placed him among the six fastest qualifiers beyond the automatic top‑three spots.
The semi‑finals and finals for both the men’s and women’s 100 metre events are scheduled for Sunday, giving Azeem, Umaira and the other regional sprinters a chance to contest medals in front of a continental audience. The Asian Games, a key showcase for emerging athletic talent in the region, often serves as a benchmark for national sports programmes and can influence future funding and development priorities.
Azeem’s 10.17‑second run not only marks his fastest performance to date but also positions him as a contender for a podium finish, according to the Malaysian athletics contingent’s official release. Umaira’s improvement underscores the depth of Malaysia’s sprint pool, highlighting the effectiveness of recent training initiatives undertaken by the national federation.
Both athletes will compete in the semi‑finals on Sunday, with the outcomes set to determine the line‑up for the final races later that day. The Malaysian contingent will be closely watched as they aim to translate these qualifying performances into medal success at the Asian Games.