KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- After a 24-year wait, there will be a Malaysian sprinter in the men's 100 metres (m) event at the Olympics with the emergence of the country's champion Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi in Paris this month.
Legendary national sprinter Watson Nyambek, who was the last individual to carry the national challenge in the event at the Sydney 2000 edition, sees the wait as being able to bring on something positive.
However, 'The Flying Dayak' said Muhammad Azeem should be considered an 'underdog' and run freely without pressure while in Paris, besides asking the 100m bronze medal winner of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games to use the opportunity as best as possible to gain experience.
"The experience is extremely valuable, we consider him (Muhammad Azeem) as an underdog, let there be no pressure for him, let him feel free to run without pressure, that is enough.
"Because if he thinks he is not an underdog, a favorite, he burdens himself... we are at Olympics like newborn boys.
"Entering the Olympic zone he will see how the world's athletes compete, he has a lot to learn, for example in terms of warm up it is different, so he must take that opportunity to learn," said Watson in a special interview with Bernama at Stadium Miri, Sarawak recently.
The Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11.
Watson who made two appearances at the Olympics in the same event including the Atlanta 1996 edition while another former national and Southeast Asian sprint champion Nazmizan Muhammad made an appearance in the 200m event at the 2004 Athens edition.
The 100m silver medalist at the 1998 Asian Athletics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan acknowledged the heavy pressure he faced in his two appearances at the Olympics, hoped Muhammad Azeem does not face the same obstacles.
"It's true, we do feel pressured because of the tremendous hope on us to run for the country, we are the ones who carry the burden, when we wear Malaysian attire, we can feel the burden.
"So we have to think, if people have given us the hope we have to do our best. We understand that the money that goes there is not our own money, it is the people's money, so we to do our best," said Watson.
Earlier this month, Muhammad Azeem was chosen by the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) to fill the 'wildcard' slot in Paris 2024 thus will witness the national 100m record holder of 10.09 seconds (s) making his Olympic debut.
Watson is among the individuals who are happy with the news and are optimistic about the abilities of the 20-year-old Perak-born athlete.
"I feel very happy because there is a sprinter representing Malaysia in the 100m event (men) after me, I think Azeem should use this opportunity to record the best time.
"If you look at it now, he is a wildcard (qualifies for a ticket), if he goes to the Olympics and beats the qualifying time (Olympic qualification 10s) that is enough to be proud of," said Watson while describing Muhammad Azeem as a special athlete because he has the height that can compete with world-class athletes.
Watson held the national record of 10.30s for 18 years before Melaka sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan broke that record by clocking 10.18s when he won the Sarawak Malaysian Games (SUKMA) gold medal in 2016.
Watson, 48, now continues to devote himself to the development of local talent as a full-time contract coach of the Sarawak Sports Council.
-- BERNAMA
