KUALA LUMPUR: Sea Games 400m gold medallist Umar Osman's dream of studying and training in the United States has come true.
The Johorean will do a four-year degree in industrial design at Auburn University, Alabama, where national 100m champion
Azeem Fahmi is also studying.
Umar, who is studying at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Pasir Gudang, will start his studies in Alabama in August.
On Sunday, Umar received RM4,500 from the Malaysia Athletic Federation (MAF) for breaking the men's 400m national record thrice in competitions last year.
Umar clocked 46.34s at the Phnom Penh Sea Games and 46.33 (heats) and 46.09 (semi-finals) at the World University Games in Chengdu, China.
He said: "It's (study and train in the US) a dream come true for me. I'm also delighted to receive RM4,500 from MAF. It'll motivate me to train harder for competitions.
"My first competition this year will be the FT All Comers in March. I will also focus on defending my gold in the Malaysia Games in July."
Meanwhile, Shereen Samson Vallabouy received RM3,000 for setting new national 200m (23.33s) and 400m (51.80s) records in American competitions last year.
The Sea Games 400m champion said the RM3,000 reward will spur her to train harder to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The other athletes rewarded by MAF for breaking national records last year were: Fakrul Afizul Nasir (men's 400m hurdles - 51.26s in Under-20 Asian Junior Championships in Yecheon, South Korea), Jonah Chang Anak Rigan (men's shot put - 17.67m in Asian Championships in Mokpo, South Korea), Tan Huong Leong (men's marathon, 2 hours 22 minutes and 34 seconds in Fukuoka), Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli, Azreen Nabila Alia, Nur Aishah Rofina Aling and Nur Afrina Batrisyia Rizal (women's 4x100m - 44.58s in Phnom Penh Sea Games).
