A feat 16 years in the making
WHEELCHAIR-BOUND athlete Faridul Masri competed in seven Asean Para Games over 16 years before finally winning both the shot put and javelin gold for a ‘grand double’.
The 36-year-old made his debut at the 2001 Kuala Lumpur Games but did not win any medal.
He went on to win the shot put gold in 2003, javelin in 2005, 2007, 2009 and shot put in 2011.
Faridul did not compete in the 2014 and 2015 Asean Para Games.
He finally achieved the ‘grand double’ at the Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games by winning both the javelin and shot put gold medals.
Yesterday, he won gold in the men’s F56 shot put with a 9.24m throw while on Monday he had won the F56 javelin with a distance of 28.86m.
“I have competed in seven Para Asean Games and won many gold medals but never in two events in one Games. It was always either the shot put or javelin,” he said,
Faridul broke his spine when he was 15 years old when on the way to Police Cadet training in his school in Sabak Bernam. He was riding pillion on a motorbike when his friend lost control on a kampung road
“After that I became wheelchair-bound. With the encouragement from friends and teachers, I started competing in the throw events.
“I never regretted becoming a national athlete. Even though there were many difficult moments in training, the memories are overall sweet and worth the sweat and blood I spilled,” said Faridul.