KBS Not Disappointed With Paris 2024 Performance Despite Missing Gold Target

From Amiril Muttaqien Meketar

PARIS, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is not disappointed with the national contingent's performance despite not meeting the target of four gold medals set by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the overall performance of the athletes was satisfactory, with some even improving their personal bests and coming close to winning gold for the country.

"Like Datuk Abdul Latif Romly, who initially held the first place but was overtaken at the last moment by the gold medallist.

"We know he had an injury, but he still did his best and recorded his season's best," she told Malaysian reporters here.

Latif Romly missed out on retaining the gold in the men's T20 long jump (intellectual impairment) during the para athletics event at the Stade de France yesterday, after being overtaken at the last moment by Matvei Iakushev, who competed as a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, with a leap of 7.51 metres (m).

The Perlis-born athlete recorded a jump of 7.45m on his third attempt, surpassing his season's best of 7.30m when he won gold at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, in May.

Meanwhile, on the proposal by PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin suggesting that all athlete management during events like the Paralympics should be handed over to PCM and the respective sports associations, Hannah said that such decisions could not be made unilaterally and required discussions with the National Sports Council, coaches, and athletes.

Earlier, Megat D Shahriman expressed his intention to discuss with the NSC to propose that only one body should lead the national contingent at any sporting event.

Hannah also said that a post-event evaluation of the Malaysian contingent's performance at the 2024 Paralympics would be conducted after the conclusion of the Le Tour de Langkawi 2024, scheduled from Sept 29 to Oct 6.

Meanwhile, Hannah said that the upcoming Para Malaysia Games (SUKMA) 2024 in Sarawak, scheduled from Sept 22-28, would serve as a platform to empower young athletes.

Malaysia concluded its Paris 2024 campaign with two gold medals - one by para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou in the men's singles SU5 (physical impairment) event and another by powerlifting champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin in the men's 72-kilogramme (kg) category.

Para athletics star Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli secured a silver medal in the men's shot put F20 (intellectual impairment) event, while Eddy Bernard won bronze in the men's T44 100m (physical impairment).

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which began on Aug 28, will conclude tonight.

-- BERNAMA