WUG 2025: Sprinter Muhammad Azeem All Set To Kickstart Athletics Challenge

From Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

ESSEN (Germany), July 20 (Bernama) -- The national athletics squad, led by sprint ace Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi, will begin their challenge in the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games in Lohrheidestadion, Bochum, tomorrow.

Muhammad Azeem, who is also the national 100 metres (m) record holder with a time of 10.09 seconds (s), will be in action in the first round of his pet event in the evening.

The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist will have Aliff Iman Mohd Fahimi for company.

At the same time, Umar Osman, who holds the national 400m record of 46.09s, and Muhammad Aidil Azhar Azrul Hisyam will take part in the men's 400m event.

Muhammad Fakrul Afizul Nasir, the national 400m hurdles record holder with a time of 51.26s, is also slated to compete.

In the women's category, Azreen Nabila Alias and Nur Afrina Batrisyia Momahad Rizal will be hoping to do their best in the 100m event, while Nurul Aliah Maisarah Nor Azmi and Chelsea Cassiopea Evalli Bopulas will battle it out in the first round of the 400m event.

Swimming and taekwondo, which enter the fifth day of competition tomorrow, are still awaiting their medals after swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean presented the national contingent with the first medal in Berlin on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the national contingent ended Day Four of the WUG 2025 much earlier after the taekwondo exponents and swimmers fell in the preliminary rounds.

The United States still lead the medal chart with nine golds, six silvers and 14 bronzes, followed by China, with a 6-10-3 haul and hosts Germany (6-3-7).

The WUG 2025 ends on July 27.

-- BERNAMA