KUALA LUMPUR: The selection of athletes for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games is based on the performance of athletes who are seen as capable of winning medals for Malaysia, said Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPM) Secretary-General Datuk R. Subramaniam.
He said that the selection is based on an analysis conducted on national athletes, and the decision is made collectively by MPM, the National Sports Council (MSN), the National Sports Institute (ISN) and the sports associations involved.
“The selection committee will convene this Thursday, chaired by MPM, along with ISN, associations and MSN. The associations will propose the athlete candidates, MSN will assess their performance, and ISN will evaluate their fitness. MPM will support the decision.
“The final decisions on the selection and the events to be competed in will be known this Thursday. We have the selection committee as recommended by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ensure that the process is transparent and not disputed,“ he told Bernama today.
He was responding to the issue of a para swimmer being excluded from the national camp for the prestigious Games.
Earlier, Walter Lee, the father of national para swimmer Zy Kher Lee, had questioned his son’s exclusion from representing Malaysia at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, saying that the 17-year-old athlete deserved to participate in the Games.
Malaysia have two slots for para swimming at the quadrennial Games, and the two national athletes expected to compete are Muhammad Nur Syaiful Zulkafli and Muhammad Imaan Aiman Muhammad Redzuan.
Commenting on the matter, Subramaniam said that the Malaysian Para Swimming Association (PREPMA) had applied for an additional slot for Zy, but the application was rejected by the IPC.
“We selected Syaiful and Aiman, the issue now is between Aiman and Zy. They compete in the same event, the men’s 100m backstroke S14. In this event, Aiman has the potential to win a medal. Based on our analysis, Aiman has the best chance of winning a medal.
“Although Zy competes in three other events, the chances of winning a medal in those events are not very bright. Therefore, if we are sending a team, it must be with the goal of winning medals and selecting those with the potential to achieve this,“ he said.
