DEAFLYMPICS 2025: AZLAN APOLOGISES, DETERMINED TO BOUNCE BACK IN 800M

From Farah Najihah Zuraimi

TOKYO, Nov 19 (Bernama) — “I apologise for not being able to give my best for Malaysia,” said national track athlete Azlan Kuste after finishing 10th out of 12 competitors in the men’s 1500m final at the 2025 Deaflympics.

The race, held at the Komazawa Metropolitan Stadium today, saw Azlan clock 4 minutes 17.74 seconds, slightly off his qualifying mark of 4:14.69s.

According to Azlan, the event proved to be a severe test of his physical and mental endurance in a high-intensity contest, especially with the dominance of Kenyan runners James Musembi Mwanza (3:49.61s) and Elikana Kiprop Rono (3:50.22s), who won gold and silver respectively.

The bronze medal went to natural athlete Aliaksandr Charniak, who recorded 3:56.77s.

“I apologise because I wasn’t feeling well. I suddenly caught the flu yesterday,” he said.

“I (promise) to improve for the next championship, and insya-Allah, I still have the 800m this Friday to focus on, with the hope of reaching the final,” he told reporters through a sign-language interpreter.

Azlan, smaller in stature than most of his competitors, refuses to be limited by physical disadvantages and is determined to train even harder, believing that all improvement begins with training.

He regards his debut at the quadriennial event as a highly valuable experience in his journey to improve himself and his performance.

“I hope that next year, in three or four years’ time, I can undergo higher-level training in preparation for the upcoming Asia Pacific Games and also any future regular sports competitions,” he said.

— BERNAMA