KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF), it seems, likes to keep the drama going.
Its script is like getting sprinters Azeem Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy to crouch at the starting blocks for a winner-take-all race.
But the only problem is that the starter keeps brandishing his pistol, and he is not firing it. And in the end, he puts his gun back into his case and tells Azeem and Shereen to come back another day.
Well, it sounds almost like that...
The MAF held a selection committee meeting today, and even had a press conference lined up.
And the reporters thought MAF was going to make up its mind as to who will get the Olympic wild card.
Guess what? The race is still wide open. No decision today.
It appears MAF loves to keep everyone in suspense, and the national body is quite
good at that.
Both Azeem (100m) and Shereen (400m), failed to qualify on merit for the Olympics, leaving MAF having to decide which one of them to give the wild card to.
MAF president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said in a press conference today that both the Asian Games bronze medallists ''qualified'' to be considered as an Olympic wild card.
"But I won't be able to name one of them as a wild card today. I will name the one athlete going as a wild card for the Olympics on July 2.
"There are a lot of people who give their comments on social media about the wild card issue. We will consider all their views before naming the athlete.
"Previously, World Athletics used to give two wild card slots, one for male and one for female athlete. But World Athletics (this time) is only giving just one wild card spot, either in the 100m, 800m and marathon.
"Both these athletes deserve a place in the Olympics as they have proven themselves in competitions this year.''
Shahidan added that MAF will submit both their names to the Olympic Council of Malaysia, and the final date to send the name of one wild card is July 2.
As the MAF plays a waiting game,
athletics fans can take a wild guess.