Tokyo: Southeast Asian deaf sprint king Muhammad Zamir Azman and compatriot Hazrul Shah Hamri’s challenge in the men’s 100-metre event came to an abrupt halt at the semi-final stage of the Deaflympics 2025 at the Komazawa Metropolitan Stadium here today. Both finished last in their heats. Muhammad Zamir clocked 11.47 seconds in Heat 3, while Hazrul Shah finished in 11.73 seconds in Heat 1.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Zamir expressed that he was physically and mentally prepared, but the extremely cold weather conditions were a significant challenge. He mentioned that it was difficult to breathe in the cold, which differed greatly from the previous day. Despite the conditions, he expressed satisfaction with his performance and optimism for improvement in his upcoming 200m event. He also addressed a false start incident, noting his initial concern about being yellow-carded.

In the semi-finals, Japan’s Sasaki Takuma and South Korea’s Gong Hyeokjun advanced to the final from Heat 1. Estonia’s Visnap Tanel and Colombia’s Andrade Mosquera Gian Marco progressed from Heat 2. For the 100m event, only the top two sprinters from each heat and the next two fastest qualified for the final.

Meanwhile, Hazrul Shah commented on the joint pains he suffered due to the cold weather, emphasizing that he did his best under the circumstances. He highlighted the stark contrast in weather conditions compared to their usual training environment, which is hot and humid. Hazrul Shah expressed hope for maintaining good physical and mental condition for his next event.

Muhammad Zamir, Hazrul Shah, and Muhammad Zumar Azman will continue to represent Malaysia in the men’s 200m event on Friday.