KUALA LUMPUR: As expected, sprinter Azeem Fahmi will take up Malaysia's sole Olympic wild card for the Paris Games later this month.
The Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) announced the wild card allocation to Azeem, overlooking another candidate, Shereen Samson Vallabouy, who had broken the national 400m record this year.
With this decision, Shereen's Olympic ambitions have come to an end, as she will be 30 years old when the next Olympic Games take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
However, MAF clarified that wild cards were only offered for the 100m, 800m, and marathon events, which are not Shereen's specialties.
Azeem has failed to improve on his national record of 10.09s set in 2022, not even coming close to 10.30 this year.
MAF president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the federation made the decision with a heavy heart.
"The selection panel met last night and decided to hand the sole wild card to Azeem.
"We hope all parties will accept this positively. Those who are not selected should not be disheartened. Instead, they should work harder," Shahidan said.
"Azeem was selected because he specialises in the 100m. We have submitted Azeem's name to the Olympic Council of Malaysia for approval."
With this decision, Azeem completes the cast of Malaysia's 26-athlete contingent for the Paris Olympics.