Malaysian sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi's participation in the men’s 4x100m relay at the 2026 Asian Games hinges on a medical clearance expected on Monday. National coach Mansahar Abdul Jalil confirmed that doctors will provide a final assessment on Azeem’s fitness ahead of the relay qualifying rounds, which commence today at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

“Azeem was assessed by the doctors, but we will only get the green light today,” Mansahar said. “He is being checked regularly and is currently on standby.”

If cleared to compete, Azeem will join teammates Danish Iftikhar Mohd Roslee, Mohd Haziq Mohd Akhir, and Mohd Umaira Subri in the relay squad, with Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam named as the reserve.

Despite Azeem’s recent injury scare, Mansahar emphasized that the team remains motivated and focused. “We learn and move on, and I can say that the remaining athletes are still motivated to compete,” he said.

Azeem sustained a hamstring injury during the men’s 100m final on Friday, which ended his pursuit of a medal in the event. Although visibly impaired, he completed the race in 14.65 seconds, finishing last among the finalists. The injury interrupted his campaign after a season marked by consistent training and competition since January.

Following the race, Azeem addressed his setback via social media, acknowledging the challenges athletes face with injuries. “The scariest thing in this sport is injury, and I believe none of the athletes want to go through that,” he wrote. “I’ve been doing everything I could to make sure I end up where I wanted to be, but God has a better plan. I’ve been running since January. Countless races, setbacks, reps, training and a lot more. But this is not the end.”

In the men’s 100m event, Thailand’s Puripol Boonson secured the gold medal with a Games record-setting time of 9.90 seconds. This marked the second occasion Boonson broke the record at the Hangzhou Games, having previously set a 9.91-second mark in the semi-finals.