KUALA LUMPUR: National 400-metre (m) record holder Umas Osman (pix) missed out on an early admission into Auburn University in the United States, to follow in the footsteps of sprinter Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, after getting late approval from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Umar said he received the disappointing news from Muhammad Azeem’s coach, Ken Harnden, and added that he could still head to the US in August.
“For January, I won’t be able to make it because the NCAA approved my application two days late.
“In American universities, if you miss the stipulated admission period, you will not be allowed admission and will have to wait for the second intake session,” he said when met at the Malaysian Athletics Awards ceremony yesterday.
However, the 20-year-old Johor-born athlete believes it could be a blessing in disguise and he would continue to focus on training as usual, including undergoing the rehabilitation process.
“At first I was kind of nervous about going there this month. Anyway, it’s not meant to be but I am relieved that I can still go there (to the US) in August,” he said.
At the Cambodia SEA Games last May, he clocked 46.34s to erase the national record held by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin (46.41s) at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Brunei in 2001.
Last August, Umar again created a sensation by breaking his national record twice within 24 hours at the 2023 Universiade in Chengdu, China, with a time of 46.33s in the qualifying stage and 46.09s in the third semi-final heat to qualify for the final. –Bernama
