KUALA LUMPUR - Para sports is not just about competitions and glittering medals, but most importantly serves as a rehabilitation tool and another way to see life for many persons with disabilities (PwD), says the Malaysian Chef-de-Mission (CDM) for the 2021 Hanoi ASEAN Para Games (APG).
Colonel (Rtd) Mohd Nor Azam Ariffin, whose right leg was amputated after stepping on a booby trap during the communist insurgency, said sports play a crucial role when an individual lost hope in life after certain life-changing incidents.
In such an incident, the army veteran said he was leading a platoon when they were ambushed by communists insurgents, just a week after a gunfight against them at the Southern Thai district of Sadao in 1978.
It was around 10 in the morning when the then young lieutenant mistakenly stepped on the booby trap. The explosion left his right leg amputated, while also causing minor injuries on his left leg.
Fortunately, one of the officers was able to rescue Mohd Nor Azam by tying his legs with a belt to reduce blood loss. After about four hours of grieving wait on the battlefield surrounded by enemies, a helicopter finally arrived to fly the wounded soldier for treatment in Penang.
Mohd Nor Azam has since depended on a prostatic leg, but that hasn’t deterred the 62-year-old from actively getting involved in sports, both as an athlete and administrator, for the past three decades.
It took him a year to go through a tough rehabilitation process before venturing into para-badminton as an athlete and represented the country at the ASEAN level.
“Sport is an important tool to develop the capability of those who suffered injury-related disabilities or those born with disabilities. This way they can give back to society instead of relying on society for their source of income.
“The involvement of PwD in sports can help them in building their personality and character as the desire to compete or being in a competition is already an achievement,” he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.
On his appointment as CDM for the Hanoi APG scheduled for Dec 17-23, Mohd Nor Azam said he is ready to carry the responsibilities to achieve the medal targets set by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) and the National Sports Council.
“Managing and motivating around 250 to 300 para-athletes participating in 11 sports won’t be an easy task, but I will give my best for it. I am hoping that the Games will be organised smoothly without any glitches,” he added.
Mohd Nor Azam is no stranger to the Malaysian para-sports movement, having served in various roles, including as a former para-badminton national player, former PCM executive council member, former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Para-Badminton Committee member and former ASEAN Para Sports Federation secretary-general. - Bernama, April 14, 2021
.jpg)
