KUALA LUMPUR: Two national para athletics champions, Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli and Datuk Abdul Latif Romly, were in a class of their own, winning gold medals on the last day of the 2023 World Para Athletics Grand Prix at the Rades Athletics Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia on Wednesday.
According to the meet’s website, https://2023.npctunisia.tn/, Muhammad Ziyad, Rio 2016 Paralympics gold medalist and two-time world champion, in 2013 and 2017, managed to win the gold with a throw of 15.93 metres (m) in the finals of the F11/12/20 (learning difficulties) shot put event.
The energetic throw pushed aside Uzbekistan’s Elbek Sultanov who made a throw of 14.16m for the silver while the bronze belonged to Tunisia’s Amir Soltane (10.51m).
Meanwhile, Abdul Latif Romly, also a two-time Paralympic champion in 2016 and 2020, was clearly in his element when he recorded a jump of 6.90m in the T13/20 (intellectual disability) long jump event, leaving challenger from Saudi Arabia Hassan Dawshi, who posted 6.08m, having to settle for the silver.
Mohamed Camara of Guinea took the bronze with a jump of 5.12m.
The success of adding two gold medals on the last day of the meet saw the national contingent excel when they closed their campaign in Tunisia by bringing home three gold medals and one silver.
On Monday (Feb 6), Rio 2016 Paralympic Games gold medalist, Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi proved he is still a speedster when he won gold in the T35/36 (physical disability) 100m event.
Muhamad Afiq Mohamad Ali Hanafiah won silver in the T11/12 (vision impairment) 100m event with a time of 11.67s. – Bernama