Paralympian Ziyad, coach fail to show proof of timely report to Tokyo call room

KUALA LUMPUR – Investigations found that national para-athlete Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli and his coach, Mohd Faizol Haron have failed to prove that they reported to the call room on time during the Tokyo Paralympics.

This is despite the assumption that they had arrived before the registration deadline.

In a statement, the Youth and Sports Ministry said this is a result of the interview session and documents obtained from the athlete and his coach by the National Sports Council’s internal investigation committee.

“Despite having to accept the decision made by World Para Athletics (WPA) on Ziyad’s issue, the Malaysian Para Athletics Association and NSC will still submit Malaysia’s views due to the confusion of WPA technical rules, especially on the ‘Did Not Start’ rule imposed on athletes,” said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

“As we all know, the technical officer confirmed that Ziyad and two other athletes from Australia and Ecuador passed the reporting period but were still allowed to compete.”

The committee was appointed on September 15 to find out and identify the issue of the incident that involved Ziyad in the F20 shot put event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, making his gold win a short-lived victory.

The committee is also responsible for submitting reports and suggestions for improvement to the ministry.

The minister said he takes the matter seriously, and called on all parties to be more responsible in the future, and ensure appropriate follow-up action will be taken by athletes, coaches and officials.

However, Faizal said Ziyad’s performance at the Games will be appreciated. 

During the Tokyo Paralympics, Ziyad broke the world record in the F20 category shot put final with a throw of 17.94m in his third attempt, contributing the second gold medal for Malaysia.

However, his victory was short-lived as he was disqualified after a protest lodged by the Ukrainian camp that said Ziyad was late to enter the roll call area, allowing their athlete to win gold in the event. – The Vibes, November 5, 2021