MALAYSIAN chef de mission (CDM) to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games Datuk R. Subramaniam has taken full responsibility for the national contingent’s failure to meet the stipulated four-gold target.
He said he accepted with an open heart their haul of two golds, two silvers and one bronze at this edition of the quadrennial multisports Games.
“We were brave enough to declare (a target of) four golds because that was our assessment before we left for Paris 2024.
“Our athletes did not give up when the Games began. It’s just that their opponents were much better,” he told Malaysian sportswriters when met outside the Games Village here today.
He cited Datuk Abdul Latif Romly as an example, saying the national men’s long jump ace thought he had secured the T2 (intellectual impairment) category gold medal for a third consecutive time after clearing 7.45 metres (m) before Matvei Iakushev, competing under the Neutral Paralympics Athletes (NPA) banner, overtook him with a last-gasp effort of 7.51m, thus, snatching the gold Latif had won since Rio 2016.
Subramaniam feels that the national contingent may have underestimated the capabilities of athletes from other countries, leading to them missing out on the gold medal like what happened to Latif Romly and men’s shot put F20 (intellectual impairment) champion Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli, who had to settle for silver after Ukrainian Oleksandr Yarovyi snatched the gold.
“Maybe, Muhammad Ziyad’s competitor has improved so much. So, perhaps we underestimated the other competitors. If you are going to a competition, you must know the opponent,” he said.
The two golds for Malaysia came courtesy of para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou in the men’s singles SU5 (physical impairment) category and powerlifting ace Bonnie Bunyau Gustin in men’s 72-kilogramme (kg) event while the sole bronze medal came from sprinter Eddy Bernard in the men’s 100m T44 (physical impairment) category.
Subramaniam, also the Paralympic Association of Malaysia (PCM) secretary-general, said a radical revamp is needed, including strengthening the existing sports ecosystem to ensure the country’s para-athletes begin to excel from the grassroots level.
He said discussions to carry out these drastic changes must involve various parties, including the PCM, National Sports Council, relevant national sports associations and the para-athletes.
“Awareness about Paralympics is increasing in other countries. Previously, they didn’t pay much attention, but now they are showing interest and investing as much as possible.
“So, we cannot just sit and think that our exciting days (of winning gold medals) will be there forever. We have to do something and make some (drastic) changes,” he said.
In terms of gold medals, Malaysia’s performance this time showed a decline compared to the three golds they bagged at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 editions.
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which began on Aug 28, ends today with the closing ceremony at the Stade de France at 8.30 pm local time (2.30 am Monday, Malaysian time).
