He said they have no choice but to give it their best shot as the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) had mentioned that only one national athlete could compete in Paris as a wildcard entry if they do not qualify on merit.

“I hope Azeem and Shereen, who have this last-minute opportunity to qualify and participate in the Olympics, will seize it. I believe they are both talented and it would certainly add value if they can join the Olympics.

“There are a few more competitions to participate in, so that’s the only chance they have. They need to prove their capabilities to the fullest if they want to get to Paris,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the ‘’Jom Jalan’’ programme with the National Press Club here today.

The MAF has confirmed that Azeem and Shereen are on its list for one wildcard slot to represent Malaysia in Paris.

MAF’s selection committee needs to submit one name to the Olympic Council of Malaysia by July 8 if both athletes fail to qualify on merit.

Azeem, the national 100m record holder with a time of 10.09s, has a season’s best of only 10.24s, which he recorded at the LSU Invitational Athletics Championships in Los Angeles on April 27.

However, this time is still far from the Paris 100m qualifying mark of 10s.

Shereen, the national women’s 400m record holder at 51.79s, which she set in the US yesterday, needs to clock at least 50.95s to qualify for the Olympics.