Danish makes history in 200m final, but injuries derail Malaysia's sprint relays

Malaysian sprinting had a mixed day at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Sunday, 27 September. There was a landmark individual run, and then injuries hit the relay team hard.

Danish's historic final

Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee, 19, finished sixth in the men's 200m final in 20.89 seconds, a season-best time. He is the first Malaysian in 44 years to reach the Asian Games 200m final.

He got there with 20.76s in the semi-finals, where he finished fourth in his heat and went through as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers. Thailand's Puripol Boonson won the gold and completed a sprint double. He had already won the 100m in an Asian Games record of 9.90s.

Earlier, Danish had talked about the gap between himself and Asia's best. "To me, the gap is indeed wide, but I am competing against myself. I don't see it as a negative," he told Bernama.

Relay plans fall apart

The day then turned against Malaysia. Bernama reported that Danish was injured shortly after the 200m final. That meant the men's 4x100m relay was without its two leading sprinters.

Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi had already been ruled out of the relay after cramping badly in Friday's 100m final. He finished that race eighth in 14.65s. After the race he said on Instagram that he would have further tests, and he stayed hopeful. "Everything happens for a reason. That's what I always hold on to," he wrote.

Mohamad Armin Zahryl Abd Latif and Muhammad Haziq Mohamad Akhir came in for the two injured runners. They ran with Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam and Muhammad Umaira Subri. The team finished fifth in Heat One in 39.99s and did not reach the final. China won the heat in 38.14s.

"If Azeem and Danish were here, perhaps the time could have been improved, but I am still satisfied with the team's run today. This quartet was formed at the last minute," Armin said.

Other results

• Women's 4x100m: Nur Aishah Rofina Aling, Izzatul Musfirah Ahmad Kamal Azira, Fatin Ilyana Mat Nayan and Nurul Wardatul Huwaida Mohd Hamka finished fifth in their heat in 45.24s. It was their first international race together.
• Men's 800m: Umar Osman ran a personal best of 1:48.74 but finished fourth in his heat and did not reach the final.
• Men's long jump: Andre Anura Anuar was eighth in Group B qualifying with 6.49m and went out.
• Women's 400m (earlier in the week): Shereen Samson Vallabouy, the bronze medallist from the last Asian Games, missed the final after running 54.03s in the heats.

Haziq's big ambition

Haziq, 23, reached the 200m semi-finals in his first Asian Games and has set himself a big goal.

"My dream is to make my name number one in Malaysia. It doesn't matter whether it is the 100m or 200m, I will try," he told Bernama. "Insya-Allah, one day I want to break Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi's record."

What next for the mixed relay

Azeem had been due to run the mixed 4x100m on Monday. Before the latest injury, Danish said Pengiran would take Azeem's place in the mixed relay if Azeem could not run. Team news will be confirmed closer to the race.

Key takeaways

• Danish Iftikhar was sixth in the 200m final in 20.89s, the first Malaysian finalist in the event in 44 years.
• Injuries to Azeem and Danish forced changes to the men's 4x100m team, which ran 39.99s and missed the final.
• Umar Osman set an 800m personal best of 1:48.74.
• Haziq Akhir says he wants to become Malaysia's No. 1 sprinter.

FAQ

How did Danish do in the 200m final? He finished sixth in 20.89s, his best time of the season.

Why did the 4x100m relay team change? Azeem was hurt in the 100m final and Danish was injured after the 200m final. Armin and Haziq replaced them.

Who won the men's sprints? Thailand's Puripol Boonson won both the 100m and the 200m.

Sources: Bernama, The Star