KUALA LUMPUR – National record-holder Umar Osman is taking heed of advice from his compatriot Azeem Fahmi to prioritise his recovery before embarking on his educational and training journey to the United States.
The 20-year-old Johorean received sponsorship from the National Sports Council in November last year to attend Auburn University, where Azeem, the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist in the men’s 100m, trains.
Currently nursing a groin injury sustained during the Varsity Track and Field Championships last year, Umar said his main goal for now was to regain full fitness before venturing into the demanding training sessions in the US.
“I need to get fully fit before I start competing again, as I miss competing in tournaments. Even Azeem told me not to rush the process of heading to the US, as the training sessions there are going to be intense, and I have to be fully fit if I want to begin my training there.
“I think I will be ready to be on track from next month onwards, and I will make sure that I talk to my coach about the potential tournaments that I can join, as I really miss running,” said Umar at the 2024 Malaysian Athletics Awards in Kuala Lumpur last night.
Despite receiving an incentive of RM1,000 from the Malaysia Athletics Federation for his gold medal performance at the Cambodia SEA Games in May, Umar received disappointing news regarding his admission to Auburn University.
Azeem’s track and field coach, Ken Harnden, told him that he had missed out on an early admission after receiving late approval from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
As such, he can only head to the US in August.
“For January, I won’t be able to make it because the NCAA approved my application two days late.
“In American universities, if you miss the stipulated admission period, you will not be allowed admission and will have to wait for the second intake session.
“But it’s a blessing in disguise for me, and I would like to continue to focus on training as usual, including undergoing the rehabilitation process.
“At first, I was kind of nervous about going there this month. Anyway, it’s not meant to be, but I am relieved that I can still go to the US in August,” Umar added.
In August last year, Umar shattered his own national 400m record twice within 24 hours at the World University Games in Chengdu, China.
The Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan student clocked 46.33s to better his national record of 46.34s set at the Phnom Penh Sea Games in May. – January 15, 2024