Tokyo: ‘I apologise for not being able to give my best for Malaysia,’ said national track athlete Azlan Kuste after finishing 10th out of 12 competitors in the men’s 1500m final at the 2025 Deaflympics. The race, held at the Komazawa Metropolitan Stadium today, saw Azlan clock 4 minutes 17.74 seconds, slightly off his qualifying mark of 4:14.69s.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the event proved to be a severe test of Azlan’s physical and mental endurance in a high-intensity contest, especially with the dominance of Kenyan runners James Musembi Mwanza (3:49.61s) and Elikana Kiprop Rono (3:50.22s), who won gold and silver respectively. The bronze medal went to Aliaksandr Charniak, who recorded 3:56.77s.

Azlan expressed his regret for not performing at his peak, citing an unexpected bout of flu as a hindrance. ‘I apologise because I wasn’t feeling well. I suddenly caught the flu yesterday,’ he said. Despite this setback, Azlan remains focused on improving. ‘I (promise) to improve for the next championship, and insya-Allah, I still have the 800m this Friday to focus on, with the hope of reaching the final,’ he told reporters through a sign-language interpreter.

Azlan, known for his determination, refuses to be limited by physical disadvantages and is committed to rigorous training, believing that all improvement begins with hard work. He considers his debut at the quadriennial event a crucial learning experience in his journey to enhance his skills and performance.

Looking ahead, Azlan is optimistic about future competitions. ‘I hope that next year, in three or four years’ time, I can undergo higher-level training in preparation for the upcoming Asia Pacific Games and also any future regular sports competitions,’ he said.