Pressure caused Azeem's false start

Malaysian sprinter Muhammad Azeem Fahmi's hopes for a podium finish in the 200-meter race at the Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, were dashed by a false start. The disqualification is believed to stem from the immense pressure the athlete faced following his victory in the 100-meter event.

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One of the factors was the rainy weather. Then Azeem was under pressure because he wanted to get a podium finish.

National athletics coach Mohd Nizam Md Yusof suggested that the pressure to meet high expectations, coupled with rainy conditions, contributed to Azeem's error. "One of the factors was the rainy weather. Then Azeem was under pressure because he wanted to get a podium finish," Nizam explained. He added that in the final race, Azeem aimed to give his best and may have felt compelled to "get out as fast as possible to be in front" during the start.

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For the final race, he wanted to give his best. Perhaps under that pressure, during the release phase, he felt he needed to get out as fast as possible to be in front.

Nizam acknowledged that "in athletics, there are things that are hard to predict," and that the situation was unintentional. Azeem has become a focal point, attracting significant attention from local media, which further amplified the pressure. "He is the focus compared to other athletes. After winning the 100m, the expectation to win the 200m also increased. Azeem is indeed the center of attention here, and he is well-known," the coach stated.

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However, in athletics, there are things that are hard to predict. That is the situation that happened and it was not intentional.

Despite the setback, Nizam views the incident as a learning experience and expressed confidence in Azeem's ability to recover for the upcoming 4x100m relay. "After this, he needs to focus more. It's okay because we still have the relay event, and we are indeed focusing on that event too. Insya-Allah, Azeem will give his best later," he said.

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He is the focus compared to other athletes. After winning the 100m, the expectation to win the 200m also increased. Azeem is indeed the center of attention here, and he is well-known, and the local media also pays a lot of attention to him.