Sprinters Ridzuan and Felicia win Paralympic sports awards
Overall National Sports Award recipients are (from left) Pandelela Rinong, Felicia Mikat, Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi and Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari. — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA: Last year’s world silat champion Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari made history by being the first silat exponent to be honoured as the Sportsman of the Year at the 2015 National Sports Awards at Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here Wednesday night.
The Pahang athlete was bestowed the prestigious award after several excellent performances including winning gold medals at the 16th World Silat Championships and World Martial Art Championships in Thailand as well as the Belgium Open Silat Championships for the sixth time in the Putra E class (65-70kg).
National diving queen Pandelela Rinong Pamg was selected as Sportswoman of the Year for the third time after winning the award in 2011 and 2013, for winning a bronze medal in the World Diving Series in Canada and the 16th World Aquatic Championships in Kazan, Russia in the 10m platform event, which also saw her qualify for the Rio Olympics in August.
Malay Cricket Association of Malaysia president and former Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation president Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and Asian Amateur Athletics Association Medical Committee chairman Tan Sri M. Jegathesan — an Olympian sprinter — were honoured as Sports Personalities of the Year for their services to the development of sports in the country.
National paralympic sprinter Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi won the Paralympic Sportsman of the Year award following his success in winning a gold medal at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Championships in Qatar in the 100m (T36) and the Asean Para Games (APG) in Singapore in the 100m and 200m (T36) events.
The 29-year-old sprinter, who is now ranked number one in the world in the 100m T36 event, has already booked his berth to the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil in September.
National women’s paralympian Felicia Mikat, 17, who created upsets when she won three gold medals at the APG in Singapore, was named as the Paralympic Sportswoman of the Year.
She won gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m (T13) in Singapore in December.
The men’s archery compound team of Juwaidi Marzuki, Zulfadhli Ruslan, Zaki Mazhan and Lee Kin Lip, which won the SEA Games gold medal for the compound team event, was chosen as the national men’s Sports Team of the Year.
The women’s archery compound team of Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh, Saritha Cham Nong, Nur Rizah Ishak and Nurhayati Al-Madihah Hashim, which also won the 2015 SEA Games gold for compound team event, was honoured as the national women’s Sports Team of the Year.
Al-Jufferi and Pandelela each received a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of RM20,000 from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
Al-Jufferi, 24, who was a gold medallist at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, beat five new faces, Ooi Tze Liang (diving), Muhammad Rafiq Ismail (tenpin bowling), Thor Chuan Leong (snooker and billiards), Loh Jack Chang (wushu) and Mohd Harrif Saleh (cycling).
Meanwhile, Pandelela defeated five other nominees — Nur Izzati Yaakob (basketball), Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh (archery), Siti Rahmah Mohamed Nasir (silat), Nur Syazrin Muhamad Latif (sailing) and Chan Lu Yi (wushu).
They received a trophy and certificate each from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. — Bernama