KUALA LUMPUR – The recent Paralympic Games in Paris saw Malaysia bring home five medals: two golds, two silvers, and one bronze.
It was a fantastic achievement, with Cheah Liek Hou making history by defending his badminton title in the men’s singles SU5 (standing upper impairment) event, and Bonnie Bunyau Gustin retaining his gold in the men’s 72kg para-powerlifting, after smashing his own personal best (231kg), to set a new world record of 232kg.
However, instead of celebrating this success, the athletes are now caught in a crossfire between the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) and the National Sports Council (NSC).
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin has blatantly accused the NSC of interfering and bullying, claiming this as the reason why Malaysia fell short of their four gold medal target.
He has even threatened to not register Malaysian Para athletes for the next 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles if the interference continues.
But while this argument drags on and becomes more ludicrous, let’s not forget that it’s the athletes who are most affected.
What’s more confusing is that athletes like Cheah Liek Hou have praised the NSC for their support. After winning gold for the second time, Liek Hou said, “If not for the NSC, I probably would not have been able to defend my gold medal at the age of 36.”
Liek Hou’s remarks highlight that the NSC played an important role in his success, making Megat’s complaints seem questionable.
The NSC’s director-general, Abdul Rashid Yaakub, has also questioned why they are being blamed, pointing out that it was PCM who set the initial medal target, and not them.
While Malaysia didn’t hit their goal of winning two more gold medals, they still matched the total medal count of five from Tokyo 2020. So, is this really a reason to start throwing each other under the bus?
Instead of these nonsensical finger pointing, the focus should be on the athletes.
Ziyad Zolkefli, who was disqualified in Tokyo, came back stronger this time to win silver in the men’s shot put F20 (intellectual disability). Eddy Bernard, a debutant, claimed bronze in the men’s 100m T44 (lower limb disability) race, while Datuk Abdul Latif Romly just missed out on gold in the men’s long jump T20 (intellectual disability) by a mere six centimetres.
These athletes deserve more attention for their hard work and achievements.
However, it’s sad to see that the Paralympics is still treated as a second-class event.
When the Paralympians returned to Malaysia on Tuesday night, the welcome at KLIA was rather sad. Only family members, NSC and Sports Ministry officials, sponsors, and the media were there to greet them. This is in stark contrast to the chaotic scene when the Olympians came home with two bronze medals last month.
Paralympians have brought home more gold medals since the 2016 Rio edition, but received far less recognition.
It’s time to ask when Malaysia will fully appreciate the value of its Paralympic athletes.
These athletes are now unnecessarily caught between two organisations that should be supporting them, not arguing over them.
Simply visit the PCM website, and the introduction that greets you read: “Paralympic Council Malaysia (PCM) was established in 1989 as a non-government organisation (NGO) to promote the development of para sports for persons with disabilities in Malaysia. PCM gazetted under the Sports Development Act (Amended) 2018, entrusted to provide opportunities for Malaysian para-athletes to participate in para sports competitions at national and international levels.
“PCM is recognised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) representing Malaysia. PCM is supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) and the Ministry of Education (KPM).”
It’s plain as day to see what roles both the PCM and NSC have to play.
Like it or not, the PCM and NSC need to set aside their differences and focus on what matters – helping Malaysian para athletes succeed.
As the team returned home from Paris, there is a sense that these issues are far from resolved. If the infighting continues, it’s the athletes who will pay the heavy price.
Our para heroes deserve better… – September 12, 2024