KUALA LUMPUR – The sports media fraternity gathered at Parliament today for a press conference with Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, however, they left not only disappointed but also perplexed by the original purpose of the briefing.
Initially aimed at announcing whether sprint sensation Muhammad Azeem Fahmi or the nation’s 400m champion, Shereen Samson Vallabouy, would secure the wild card slot (now termed the universal slot) for the Paris Olympics, the session concluded without a definitive answer.
Shahidan failed to provide convincing and comprehensive answers, merely stating that the final decision would be conveyed to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) on July 2.
This raises questions about the necessity of the press conference if the MAF had no decision ready to announce.
“I’m carefully considering our best approach. This shouldn’t be debated at any level, be it on social media or elsewhere, but it’s a global prerogative to discuss openly, and we must respect that.
“The selection should be precise, and we also need to consider the opinions of others, including (MAF) board members.
“If we reach a decision on July 2, we’ll send it out. (If not) I will submit the decision by midnight (the next day),” said Shahidan.
However, he did not dismiss the views expressed by netizens in deciding whether Azeem or Shereen will go to Paris.
“Social media consists of two parts: public and personal. If we want to assess, we need to look at both.
“We will consider all aspects, some people may support Azeem because of his performance in the 100m, while others may support Shereen because this may be the best time for her.
“All of this will be taken into account, but the most important thing is the technical report and the views of the National Sports Council (NSC).
“The opinions on social media are secondary, the primary consideration is technical. For me, both are deserving of consideration,” he added.
After the press conference, MAF technical director, Robert Ballard, provided more reassuring and substantive answers regarding the controversy over the selection of either Azeem or Shereen.
He said that they have already held two meetings to discuss this matter and are scheduled to convene for a third time next Tuesday to finalise the decision.
While initially, Azeem seemed to have a strong chance to fill the wild card slot, given that the new regulations set by World Athletics specify only the 100m, 800m, and marathon events for such slots, Shereen also demonstrated potential to compete in the 100m event.
Ballard added that several factors need to be considered, such as health reports from the National Sports Institute (NSI), running data, timing records, and other pertinent details currently under review by MAF.
“There has been a substantial amount of information presented, including technical assistance from NSI and NSC through their performance analyst.
“If you look at World Athletics, there are overall rankings, world rankings, and Road to Paris rankings, as well as individual event rankings.
“So, with all this data and numbers thrown at you, it takes time to digest everything.
“Plus, not all of this data was available until today, especially considering the deadline approaching on June 30th,” said Ballard. – June 27, 2024