Paralympic tennis squad gunning for two gold medals

KUALA LUMPUR: The National wheelchair tennis squad competing in the 9th ASEAN Para Games have targeted two gold medals although the sport had not been contested since 2011 in Indonesia.

National coach Mohd Nadir Mohd Ashraf said the two gold medals are targeted from the Open singles and quads singles while a silver medal is targeted from the open doubles.

Mohd Nadir said the squad had been going through intensive training at the Jalan Duta National Tennis Centre from 8am to 5pm every day.

“Apart from the intensive training, the players have also participated in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) series,” he told reporters when met at the ‘Kita Juara Para ASEAN’ programme, here yesterday.

In the 2011 ASEAN Para Games held in Solo, Indonesia, Malaysia managed to win a gold, a silver and a bronze medal.

Meanwhile, wheelchair tennis silver medal winner in 2011, Abu Samah Borhan, 32, said his main mission in Kuala Lumpur would be to avenge his defeat in Solo to Thailand’s top seed Suthi Klongrua and wrest the gold medal.

Abu Samah who was introduced to the sport by Norisah Bahrom (now his wife) in 2006 after he was paralyzed below the waist following an accident in 2006, said he has been working very hard to improve his performance before wheelchair events are held from Sept 18-21.

“We are quickly getting used to the National Tennis Centre in Jalan Duta because we were initially training at the Kampung Pandan Paralympics Excellence Centre in Kg Pandan,” he said. - Bernama