JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 17 — The 2023 SEA Games men’s 400 metres (m) champion Umar Osman is currently undergoing high-intensity training in Singapore in preparation for the Hangzhou Asian Games in China next month.
Aiming to qualify for the final, the rising 20-year-old runner has been training at the Singapore Sports School under the guidance of coach Simon Lau Chin Meng since August 11, to ensure that his new target to record a time of under 46.00 seconds (s) can be achieved.
The Johor-born athlete said Hangzhou would be the platform to test his ability to compete, especially towards renewing his national record of 46.09s that he did at the World University Games (Universiade) in Chengdu, China, last month.
“For the Asian Games in Hangzhou, I need to run under 46.00s because the average time of my competitors is 45.00s. So I have to ensure I can reach the target to compete and qualify for the final and get the best ranking in Asia.
“This task is not easy, but I will try to do my best and always concentrate so as not to lose focus and momentum,” he told Bernama when met recently.
Umar, however, said to ensure he qualifies for the final in Hangzhou, he needs to focus entirely and avoid any injuries and making mistakes.
“Obviously injuries are the main enemy of athletes. So to avoid injury, my main focus before being able to break the (national) record is to keep healthy and be in the best condition to compete.
“Similarly in terms of mistakes that could cause an athlete to be out of the competition, I have to be careful even though so far I have never experienced it,” he said.
Umar won the gold medal on his debut at the Cambodian SEA Games last May. He broke the 400m national record with a time of 46.34s thus erasing the national record held by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin (46.41s) at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Brunei in 2001.
He once again created a sensation by breaking his own national record at the Universiade in Chengdu, with a time of 46.33s in the qualifying stage and 46.09s in the third semi-final heat to qualify for the final.
However, Umar’s dream to get on the podium was not fulfilled after finishing the final in seventh position.
— Bernama
