London Summer Paralympic Games 2012 (Aug 29 to Sept 9)
MALAYSIA’S Paralympians are better prepared for this summer’s Games in London than they were for Beijing.
Director of the country’s National Sports Council (NSC) Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong said this at a recent event in Putrajaya attended by members and families of the country’s Paralympians.
The athletes have also had a more systematic training programme with the NSC having taken over preparations from the Malaysian Paralympic Council with some being sent overseas for training.
“They may just spring a surprise in London,” Zolkples said.
He added that Malaysia could beat the one silver and one bronze medal won at the Barcelona 1992 Games.
The Malaysian squad has been in London since last week to acclimatise and prepare for the Paralympics which starts on August 29.
A total of 23 athletes are in London competing in eight sports, including archery, athletics, powerlifting and table tennis.
Among them are K Hemala Devi, a 22-year-old discus and shot put athlete who is aiming for a Paralympic medal after shining at the Malaysian Paralympic Athletics Open Championship, and the Asean Para Sports Games 2011 in Solo, Indonesia.
The Paralympics Games are a great example of phenomenal achievements that the physically challenged can attain.
Malaysia participated in its first Paralympic Games during the 1972 games in Heidelberg with just three athletes who competed in track and field events.
After a three-game hiatus, Malaysia returned to the 1988 Games in Seoul.
It is little known, but Malaysia has won medals at the Paralympics – a total of five in high jump, weightlifting and powerlifting.
Perumal Mariappan won a bronze in weightlifting in the 1988 Seoul games, while Cheok Kon Fatt, Mariappan, Mohd Khasseri Othman won medals (silver, bronze and bronze respectively) in the 1992 Barcelona Games in weightlifting and men’s high jump.
In the 2008 Beijing Games, Siow Lee Chan was Malaysia’s first female Paralympic medallist. She won a bronze medal in powerlifting.
She was also the first Malaysian Paralympian to have won a medal after 16 years.
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Malaysia Paralympic Squad – Photo Credit: www.london2012.com