GREEK athlete, Athanasios Prodromou, was heralded for both his silver medal win in the men’s long jump event as well as his sportsmanship in helping an injured competitor at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Athanasios, whose jump of 7.17m earned him the silver medal at the Games, embodied the spirit of athleticism during the event when he rushed to help Abdul Latif Romly, who was injured during his fifth jump.
The Greek athlete didn’t hesitate and rushed to Abdul Latif’s side before the paramedics when he saw his competitor hold his leg in pain after landing his jump.
Malaysian commentators, as well as those from all over the world, praised Athanasios for putting the competition aside to help his fellow athlete, who won Malaysia the gold medal with a jump of 7.45 m.
Athanasios even helped to clear the sand out of the national athlete’s hair and face after his injury.
The Hellenic Paralympic Committee praised Athanasios in a social media post: ‘We take a bow to Thanasis Prodomou, for his ethos and fair play! All of social media is talking about Thanasis Prodromou’s great move to help the Malaysian athlete (Abdul) Latif Romly when he was injured during his fifth attempt…’
Foreign media praised the enthusiasm and the way in which the Greek athlete helped Abdul Latif right after his injury.
The post included comments from fans complimenting Athanasios’ act of kindness, with messages like: ‘A big hug from Malaysia’, ‘Thank you, Greece’, and ‘Respect’. – Agencies, September 7, 2021
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