IT was a day of mixed fortunes as Malaysia continued its campaign on Day 4 of the Deaflympics Tokyo 2025, marked by a hard-fought qualification in athletics and another strong showing from the national badminton squad.

At the Olympic Park Athletics Stadium, middle-distance runner Azlan Kuste brought joy to the Malaysian camp after a spirited performance on the track which saw him qualify for the men’s 1,500m final in his debut Deaflympics appearance.

Drawn in lane eight and boxed out in the early stages, the Sabahan athlete bided his time before unleashing a decisive sprint in the final lap, securing sixth spot with a time of 4 mins 14.69for the final ticket. 

“Thank God, I managed to finish sixth. I kept my energy for the last lap, just as my coach advised,” said Azlan, who expressed deep gratitude for the support behind his journey.

Azlan now faces an imposing challenge, with several top long-distance runners from Kenya standing between him and a podium finish.

Malaysia’s sprint duo Muhammad Zamir Azman and Hazrul Shah Hamri, however, were unable to join Azlan in the finals after both finished last in their respective 100m semifinal heats at Komazawa Stadium. Zamir, the Southeast Asian Deaf Sprint King, clocked 11.47s, while Hazrul recorded 11.73s.

Both cited the chilly 13°C temperature as a major factor affecting their performance, but vowed to bounce back in their upcoming 200m event.

At the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Malaysia’s badminton contingent delivered another stellar performance, headlined by women’s doubles shuttlers Boon Wei Ying/Foo Zu Tung, the reigning gold medallists from the 2022 Brazil Deaflympics.

The national duo overturned a first-game deficit to defeat South Korea’s Hyang Kim/Soyi Park 13–21, 23–21, 21–5 in a gripping three-game battle.

They then followed up with a commanding victory over Hong Kong’s Siu Kei Wong/Ka Long Yuen, registering a 21–10, 21–8 win to strengthen their position in the tournament.

Malaysia were also triumphant in the mixed doubles, with Edmund Teo / Boon Wei Ying continuing their fine form by securing a straight-games 21–13, 21–9 win over TĂźrkiye’s Muhammed Sert/Elif Sahra Demirel.

The win places them strongly on track for a deep run in the knockout stages as the pair continues to build momentum and confidence.

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