Despite breaking his own world record twice in the men’s shot put F20 (intellectual impairment) category at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium and leaving his rivals trailing, he was cruelly robbed of the gold medal when a protest was lodged against him. — Bernama photo
TOKYO (Aug 31): National athlete Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli was a shattered man after his moment of glory was cruelly snatched away from him at the Tokyo Paralympics here today.
Despite breaking his own world record twice in the men’s shot put F20 (intellectual impairment) category at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium and leaving his rivals trailing, he was cruelly robbed of the gold medal when a protest was lodged against him.
And Malaysia intend to submit an appeal to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Athletics (WPA) regarding the matter.
Chef de mission Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the process of appealing to both world bodies would be done tomorrow (Sept 1).
“For now, I do not want to say anything else. We have to be sensitive regarding this matter,” he told Bernama adding that he would release an official statement tomorrow as well.
He had earlier lodged a protest with the Tokyo Paralympics technical committee regarding Ziyad’s status as did not start (DNS) although the athletes had completed all his throws in the final.
Earlier, Muhammad Ziyad thought he had managed to defend his gold medal from the 2016 Rio Paralympics when he hurled the shot put to a distance of 17.31m with his very first attempt to break his previous world mark of 17.29m set at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London.
Then, in his third attempt, he threw it even further to 17.94m to leave his rivals trailing in his wake.
Then disaster struck as Ukraine lodged a protest with the technical committee, who then disqualified Muhammad Ziyad and two others – Jordi Patricio Congo Villalba of Ecuador and Todd Hodgets – for supposedly being late to enter the call area.
The Ecuador and Australia team officials also joined Megat D Shahriman to lodge a protest with the technical committee.
Ukraine’s Maksym Koval was announced as the gold medallist with a throw of 17.34m, breaking Muhammad Ziyad’s world record set in London.
Another Ukrainian, Oleksandr Yarovyi took silver with a throw of 17.30m while Greece’s Efstratios Nikolaidis (15.93m) settled for bronze.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu earlier confirmed that the national camp had submitted evidence to object against the protest lodged by Ukraine. — Bernama