Even before the gun has gone off, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown is already in a race against time.
Sani Brown said on Thursday (3 July) that he will compete at the Japan Athletics Championships 2025 with a bone bruise in his right hip joint, a freak injury he suffered last week in training.
“I’ll be honest, I was starting to pick it up, but then last month on the 26th, I had a slight accident,” Japan’s men’s 100m hopeful said at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where the championships will be held from Friday, doubling as the Japanese trials for the World Athletics Championships in September, which is also in Tokyo.
“I went to the hospital, had an MRI and a scan, and the doctor told me I had a bone bruise in the hip joint. He said I should sit still, [and not move], let alone run in a meet. Three weeks for it to completely heal, he said.
“But as a professional, who’s been at the forefront of track and field here, and also for all the fans who come out to watch as well as all the kids who support me, I feel compelled to go out there and run.
“’l’ll do everything I can to get ready for competition.”
Sani Brown said he was hurt last Thursday but did not think much of it initially. When the pain did not go away, he went for a check-up on Monday, when he received the diagnosis.
The two-time Olympian – who set a personal best of 9.96 at Paris 2024 – needs to finish in the top three this weekend to qualify for the worlds. He could still make the team by virtue of his world ranking, a Japan-best 17th, but won’t know of his status until late August if he relies on that route.
There is also the risk that the 26-year-old could aggravate the injury by hitting the track against doctor’s orders, which would make him a question mark for a home world championships.
But evidently, Sani Brown feels compelled to start on Friday.
“Basically, anything that involves raising my knee leads to pain,” he said. “It really was a freak accident. I was off balance and just put too much stress on the bone.
“I don’t know how far I’ll be able to go until I actually run, but it is an important meet where I have to give it everything I have. I’m not thinking at what percent I’m at, but prepare as well as I can and take it one race at a time.”
The men’s 100m heats and semi-finals are on Friday, followed by the final on Saturday.