Muhammad Haziq targets Malaysia’s top sprinter spot and aims to break Muhammad Azeem’s record after his Asian Games debut in Nagoya
NAGOYA: National track athlete Muhammad Haziq Mohamad Akhir has set his sights on becoming Malaysia’s number one sprinter after gaining valuable experience from his debut at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
The 23-year-old said he aims to raise his performance over the next two to three years and challenge for the status of the country’s top sprinter in the 100 metres (m) and 200m.
“My dream is to make my name number one in Malaysia. It doesn’t matter whether it is the 100m or 200m, I will try.
“Insya-Allah, one day I want to break Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi’s record,” he told reporters after competing in the men’s 200m semi-finals.
At his first Asian Games, Haziq said racing against Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, who holds the Asian Games record, had provided him with valuable lessons.
Haziq said he was particularly impressed by Puripol’s discipline, with the Thai sprinter constantly surrounded by coaches and support staff throughout his preparations for the race.
“I saw that he was very cool and relaxed. He really has discipline. His coaches also take care of him in a very organised way.
“I think I need to continue training and maintain discipline. I can see that discipline is the key to success,” he said.
Admitting that he was nervous before facing Puripol, Haziq said he refused to let the feeling undermine his confidence.
“I was scared, really scared, but you cannot show that you are afraid or feel small. Even though my name is not big, I still showed that I would fight to reach the semi-finals,” he said.
Haziq is also listed as a reserve for Malaysia’s men’s 4x100m relay team, which will compete today, and is ready to step in if selected to help the quartet challenge the national record.
“For me, everyone in the team believes in themselves. Whoever the coach chooses, we will do our best.
“We are not thinking about individuals. We are thinking about the team, especially about breaking the Malaysian record,” he said.
