KUALA LUMPUR − Encouraged by the good showing from young Malaysian para athletes on the international stage, the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) plans to send them for more competitions overseas in an effort to groom these rising stars for Paralympic glory.
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the three gold, five silver and five bronze medals won by Malaysia at the recent Bahrain 2021 Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG) showed that the Paralympic movement in the country was now poised for rapid growth.
“I am glad the National Sports Council, in particular, has invested in financing the contingent for the Games and they now have a pool of new talents to develop into future Paralympians.
“We need to discover new talents by exposing our youths early, not only at the national level but also to international games,” he said in a statement today.
Megat said PCM will engage actively with state authorities nationwide to uncover new talents through outreach talent identification programmes up to the district level.
At the AYPG, which was held from December 2-6 in Manama − swimmer Zy Lee Kher splashed his way to three medals – gold in boys’ 200m freestyle, silver in boys’ 200m butterfly and bronze in boys’ 200m individual medley.
He said the 15-year-old para athlete − born with one shortened arm and without legs − has set his sights on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games after breaking his personal best times in all the events he took part in.
The other two golds were contributed by Ong Jia Xuan in girls’ 100m breaststroke and paddler Gloria Gracia Wong Sze in girls’ singles table tennis.
A total of 13 Malaysian athletes aged between 12 and 21 took part in six para sports − swimming, athletics, table tennis, powerlifting, badminton and boccia.
Malaysia has been taking part in AYPG since 2009, winning a total of 102 medals – 32 golds, 35 silvers and 35 bronzes.
At the Dubai 2017 edition, Malaysia sent 12 athletes to participate in five sports and returned with five golds, a silver and two bronzes. – Bernama, December 8, 2021
