National sprint star Muhammad Azeem Fahmi has decided to remain under the guidance of American coach Ken Harnden until the end of the current season.
Azeem said he has no plans to change coaches in the middle of the season as it could affect his progress, especially with major competitions coming up. He explained that his training programme with Harnden had already been structured since last December, making it more suitable to continue with the current plan before reviewing future options later.
The national 100m record holder said any decision on his coaching direction would likely be made after the Asian Games. For now, he is focused on completing the season and maintaining stability in his preparation.
At the same time, Azeem welcomed the appointment of South African coach Thabo Matebedi as Malaysia’s new national sprint head coach. He described Matebedi as a world-class sprint coach and said the training approach is believed to be similar to what he experienced in the United States.
Malaysia Athletics and the National Sports Council recently appointed Matebedi to strengthen the national squad’s preparations for major events, including the 2026 Asian Games and the 2027 SEA Games.
Azeem, who holds the Malaysian 100m record of 10.09 seconds and won bronze at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, is expected to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October.
