HANGZHOU: Who's the fastest man in Southeast Asia? The question is arguably still up for debate.
The Phnom Penh Sea Games in May was inconclusive on this as Malaysia's Azeem Fahmi didn't actually run as he was disqualified in the heats for a false start.
Some pundits still see it as "neck and neck" among Azeem, Indonesia's Lalu Muhammad Zohri, Thailand's Puripol Boonson and a few other Asean sprinters.
So the Asian Games in Hangzhou represent a stage for Southeast Asia's speedsters to settle this question.
Among Azeem's Asean rivals in Hangzhou are former world junior champion Lalu and teen wonder Puripol.
"The Asian Games will be the best platform for me to prove myself. I also want to be the fastest in Southeast Asia. The presence of my rivals will fire me up," said Azeem, 19, who holds the national record of 10.09s.
Of course Azeem and his Asean counterparts will hope to give the continental elites, especially the Japanese, a run for their money in the 100m which starts with the heats at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium tomorrow.
Azeem's last competition was the World Championships in Budapest, where he clocked 10.26, which was far from his year's best of 10.11 clocked at the SEC Outdoors Championships in America in May.
Azeem said he and his American coach, Ken Harnden, have identified the areas in which he needs to improve following the world championships.
At the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta, China's Su Bingtian won the 100m gold in a time of 9.92, followed by Qatar's Tosin Ogunode and Japan's Ryota Yamagata, who both did 10 flat.
National coach Poad Md Kassim said he is confident that Azeem will improve on his 10.25 time (fifth placing) recorded at the Asian Championships in Bangkok two months ago.
Also taking to the tracks tomorrow will be Malaysia's 400m runner, Umar Osman, and women's 100m sprinter Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli.
