KUALA LUMPUR – The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) has set a realistic target for its athletes to win four gold medals in the upcoming Paris Paralympics.
The multisport event, which is scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8, has so far seen a total of 20 athletes securing their spots in Paris, with the final number expected to be around 25 to 27 athletes when the qualifying window closes on July 9.
Speaking to Scoop, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin expressed his full confidence in his Paralympic athletes’ abilities and believes they can bring joy to the country through their performances.
“The government has yet to set any KPIs for us. However, we wanted to be realistic with ourselves, and after discussing with all 25 bodies in our council, we believe that we can win four gold medals this time in Paris.
“Having a target will motivate our athletes and prevent complacency. We don’t want our athletes to feel that it’s okay not to win any medals.
“The athletes should understand their role. Four years of hard work is for winning, not for wasting time. At the end of the day, all the funding and allowances they receive come from public money.
“We are all having a tough time in the country right now, and I expect our athletes to bring joy to the country by winning and giving their 100% in this year’s Paris Paralympics,” said Megat when contacted.
Malaysia won three gold and two silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The gold medals were won by Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (powerlifting 72kg), Cheah Liek Hou (badminton singles SU5), and Datuk Latif Romly (athletics long jump T20).
Malaysia would have won four gold in Tokyo if not for Ziyad Zolkefli (athletics shot put F20) disqualification for turning up three minutes late to the call room prior to his event.
The quartet will once again be expected to shine in Paris.
Latif and Bonnie are outright favourites in their events though the competition will be stiffer for Cheah and Ziyad.
Promising shuttler Amin Burhanuddin (singles SL4), who is competing in a different category than Cheah, is also seen as a potential medalist.
The national contingent won three gold and one bronze at Rio 2016, which was also the first time that Malaysia was able to win gold at the Paralympics. – July 7, 2024