KUALA LUMPUR – National para shot putter Ziyad Zolkefli is frustrated with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) for failing to keep their promise of providing the incentive for his silver medal-winning performance at the Paris Paralympics.
The 34-year-old athlete, who competes in the T20 (intellectual disability) classification and has three world championships to his name, is disappointed that the promise was not kept following Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin’s announcement in August regarding the incentives.
Earlier, it was reported that Megat said that athletes who secure medals in Paris would be rewarded with extra incentives from his governing body.
The incentive was reportedly backed by three unnamed companies, offering RM 20,000 for a gold medal, RM 10,000 for silver, and RM 5,000 for bronze. There were also discussions about providing a car for the gold medalist.
Speaking to Scoop, Ziyad revealed that beyond the unfulfilled incentives following the Paralympics in Paris, even the allowances PCM was supposed to provide before the games were not issued, forcing him to rely on financial support from the National Sports Council (NSC).
Ziyad also said that other Paralympians who achieved success in Paris have yet to receive the incentives from PCM.
“It’s already November, and I’m frustrated that PCM has still not given me the money despite making their announcement. If they really don’t have the funds, they shouldn’t have made such promises.
“The government has already given me what they promised; it’s just that PCM has not followed through.
“It’s not just me. There are other Paralympians who won medals in Paris, and they are also waiting for the incentives from PCM.
“This has never happened before, and it’s quite surprising. Perhaps the companies that were supposed to fund PCM backed out at the last minute… we just don’t know.
“If PCM didn’t have the money, they should have informed us earlier instead of keeping us waiting. I really hope PCM can honour their promise and give me the money,” Ziyad said when contacted.
Attempts by Scoop to reach other Paris Paralympics medalists for comments were unsuccessful.
Aside from Ziyad, the Malaysian contingent in Paris, which consisted of 30 athletes, also saw Cheah Liek Hou (gold), Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (gold), Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (silver), and Eddy Bernard (bronze) winning medals for the country. – November 6, 2024