PARIS 2024 WON'T BE  MY LAST OLYMPICS, SAYS MUHAMMAD AZEEM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- National sprint champion Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi is determined to ensure that the 2024 Paris Olympics will not be the last of his career.

The national record holder in the men’s 100 metres (m), who will be competing in Paris 2024 on a wildcard ticket, aims to qualify on merit for the Los Angeles 2028 edition.

"Who knows, maybe by then (Los Angeles 2028) there will be bigger opportunities... my goal is to run at the Olympics to learn and gain experience not only for myself but for Malaysia," he told the media after receiving competition essentials for the 2024 Paris Olympics from Mizuno at the National Sports Council here today.

The 20-year-old also expressed his gratitude to Mizuno for their generous contribution of racing equipment for the Paris  Olympics.

Meanwhile,  Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) Technical Director, Robert Ballard refused to dwell on the controversy surrounding his presence at Paris 2024.

The Australian-born coach said that his main mission is to help Muhammad Azeem achieve his best performance at the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Ballard also said that he maintains regular communication with Muhammad Azeem's coach, Ken Harnden, sending analysis and videos of the ace sprinter's training sessions in the country.

“I want to ensure that our athletes, when we go somewhere, they get a positive experience from this.

“ Even if they don't win or don't quite get in the final, they get the motivation and the competitive edge to say, well, this is what I need to do to get there,” he said.

The Paris Olympics will officially open tomorrow and conclude on Aug 11.

--BERNAMA