PARIS – Just a day after his athlete’s competition, Paralympic long jump coach Shahrul Amri Suhaimi is set to collaborate with the National Sports Council (NSC) to devise a plan aimed at helping national athlete Datuk Abdul Latif Romly reclaim the T20 men’s long jump gold (intellectual disability) at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Shahrul stressed the importance of designing an optimal programme for Latif, who narrowly missed out on gold after being edged out by Neutral Paralympic Committee athlete Matvei Iakushev at the Stade de France.
“We understand that the winning athlete is still young and promising, but we must intensify our efforts to formulate the best plan for Latif over the next four years,” he told Malaysian reporters.
Despite leading the competition from the outset, Shahrul acknowledged that the final result hinged on Iakushev’s final attempt of 7.51m – just enough to end Latif’s bid for a third consecutive gold.
Latif’s best jump of 7.45m on his third attempt exceeded his previous season’s best of 7.30m from the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Although Latif returned home with a silver medal, Shahrul expressed immense pride in his athlete’s resilience, especially in light of an injury to Romly’s left abdominal muscle.
“I hope Latif recovers swiftly from his injury. I also extend my gratitude to the Malaysians for their unwavering support,” he said. – September 8, 2024