PCM expects at least 20 para athletes for Paris 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: About 20 to 25 athletes from seven sports are set to shoulder Malaysia’s challenge in the 2024 Paris Paralympics from Aug 28 to Sept 8.
Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) secretary-general Datuk R. Subramaniam said seven para athletes from athletics, archery and cycling have confirmed their Paris 2024 tickets, so far.
He added that the actual number would be confirmed in the coming months, with athletes from badminton, boccia, powerlifting and swimming set to compete in the qualifiers next month.
Subramaniam said that, apart from the merit slots, the PCM also expected to receive bipartite slots and wildcard tickets for the Games by May. (Bipartite slots are awarded to the individual athlete, not to the PCM).
“Our focus is to (either) maintain the three golds we achieved in the last two editions or do better than that,” he told Bernama when met during the Allez Les Champions, organised by the Embassy of France here, yesterday.
The Allez Les Champions is part of the French Embassy’s efforts to build interest towards the Paris Olympics (July 26-Aug 11) and Paralympics.
Subramaniam also advised the athletes to remain mentally strong in the hunt for their Paralympic tickets.
“My priority now is to get as many athletes as possible to qualify first. So far, (am) getting good support from the government through the National Sports Council (NSC).
“The athletes need to be mentally strong and say ‘I want to be in Paris’ and do their best during the Paralympics,” he added.
Malaysia’s best-ever achievement since competing in the first edition in Heidelberg, Germany in 1972 came at the Tokyo 2020 edition where they bagged three golds and two silvers to better the Rio 2016 feat of three golds and one bronze.
In the Tokyo edition, Datuk Abdul Latif Romly retained his gold in the men’s T20 (intellectual impairment) long jump, while other two golds came courtesy of shuttler Cheah Liek Hou (men’s singles SU5 event) and powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (men’s 72kg category).
The silver medals were contributed by powerlifter Jong Yee Khie (men’s 107kg) and boccia player Chew Wei Lun (mixed individual BC1 event).
Our focus is to (either) maintain the three golds we achieved in the last two editions or do better than that.
Datuk R Subramaniam