KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s accomplished para-long jumper Datuk Abdul Latif Romly is gearing up for the Paris Paralympic Games with an ambitious target: clinching his third gold and setting a new world record.
The 26-year-old athlete, aware of the tough competition awaiting him, draws inspiration from the indomitable spirit of his childhood idol, badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
“Chong Wei has been my inspiration in my sport. I know that we are from two different disciplines, but he inspires me on how to be a strong person, especially with his never-give-up attitude,” Latif shared when contacted.
“I have admired him from a very young age, and when I watch him play, it motivates me to give my heart and soul to the country.
“I also remember that he was willing to fight for the country and participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics despite being diagnosed with nose cancer (nasopharyngeal carcinoma).
“His readiness to bring glory for the country in such a tough situation is something which I think no one else would be willing to do.”
Latif admits that he anticipates more resistance at this year’s Paralympics, acknowledging the presence of talented long-jumping athletes from a few countries.
“This year’s Paralympics is going to be tougher than before because there are several promising long-jumping athletes who I believe will give me a tough fight to defend my title, especially the athletes from Colombia, Canada, and Greece,” he said.
As a singles player, Chong Wei’s illustrious career saw him ranked first in the world for an impressive 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak from August 21, 2008, to June 14, 2012.
The 41-year-old legend, inducted into the Badminton World Federation Hall of Fame in May last year, was also a triple silver medalist at the Olympics (2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro).
He retired from the sport in 2019 after struggling to return to full fitness following his nose cancer diagnosis.
Latif qualified on merit for the 2024 Paralympics after winning the men’s long jump T20 (intellectual impairment) category at the Paris World Para Athletics Championships last year.
In the T20 final at the Charlety Stadium, he cleared 7.40 metres (m) in his second attempt, thus breaking the meet record of 7.39m set by defending champion Ranki Oberoi of the Netherlands.
Latif also said that he is going to be wiser when it comes to choosing the competitions he participates in this year.
“I’m very particular about the competitions I choose to avoid unnecessary injuries. I will be competing in a pre-season tournament in Dubai next month and also participating in the World Championships in Kobe, Japan, in May.
“These tournaments will be my warm-up events for the Paralympics.”
Commending the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) for its initiatives in developing future talents, Latif expressed confidence in the organisation’s ability to sustain his legacy.
“MPC, under the leadership of Datuk Seri Megat Shariman, has done a great job for all our disabled athletes as he is very humble and communicates well with us.
“Not only that, MPC has created many future talents for the sport, and I’m confident they can one day continue my legacy,” he added.
Latif’s remarkable track record includes breaking the T20 long jump world record three times at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics and winning Malaysia’s third gold medal.
He also won the gold medal in the men’s long jump T20 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo.
Aside from his Paralympic achievements, Latif has three World Championship gold medals (2015 Doha, 2017 London, and 2023 Paris), three Asian Para Games gold medals (2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta, and 2022 Hangzhou), and four Asean Para Games gold medals (2014 Naypyidaw, 2015 Singapore, 2017 Kuala Lumpur, and 2022 Surakarta).
The upcoming Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8. – January 29, 2024