Tokyo: Malaysia’s athletics squad received an early boost at the 2025 Deaflympics when Southeast Asia’s Deaf Sprint King, Muhammad Zamir Azman, together with teammate Hazrul Shah Hamri, advanced to the men’s 100-metres (m) semi-finals at the Komazawa Metropolitan Stadium here today. Both athletes, making their debut at the prestigious Games, did not finish their respective heats in the top two but still progressed after ranking among the next eight fastest runners for the next round.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Zamir admitted he was slightly ‘distracted’ while waiting for the start ‘light’ signal, causing him to ‘break out’ from the starting blocks later than usual. Muhammad Zamir reflected on his performance by comparing it to his previous record of 11.06s at the Jakarta Deaf SEA Games, noting the differences in climate affecting his physical performance. He identified competitors from the United States, Japan, and Estonia as key challengers but was determined to qualify for the final.

Hazrul Shah described qualifying for the semi-finals as a morale booster and emphasized his focus on securing a place in the final. He expressed his commitment to following his coach’s advice and aimed to run below 11 seconds in the upcoming semi-final.

Earlier, Muhammad Zamir clocked 11.58 seconds (s) in Heat 3, which was below his personal best of 11.06s. Hazrul Shah recorded 11.53s in Heat 4, also falling short of his best performance of 11.09s.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Zamir’s twin brother, Muhammad Zumar, exited in the early round after posting 11.64s, while national women’s representative Nur Andrina Zainudin also failed to advance after recording 13.49s. Both athletes will continue their challenge in the 200m event.