Men of steel
Ziyad and Abdul Latif eyeing world records
ZIYAD Zolkefli and Abdul Latif Romly are Malaysia’s two most successful para athletes – and they serve as role models for the younger generation.
The whole nation will be waiting with bated breath when these two world-record holders compete in the Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 17-23.
They are national heroes and an inspiration to fellow para athletes for their outstanding achievements – having smashed world records and won gold medals in the Rio Paralympics last year and the World Para Athletics Championships in London in July.
Ziyad threw the shot putt 17.29m to break the world record in the men’s F20 (learning disability) at the World Para Athletics Championships in London.
The 27-year-old Ziyad also became the first para athlete to win the bronze against able-bodied athletes at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last month.
He hurled the iron ball 17.12m to finish third.
The 20-year-old Abdul Latif holds the men’s F20 long jump world record of 7.60m, which he set at the Rio Paralympics in September last year.
In the London Para meet, he cleared 7.37m to better his own meet record of 7.35m, which he set en route to the gold at the 2015 edition in Doha, Qatar.
At the Asean Para Games next week, Ziyad and Abdul Latif will defending their gold medals.
Ziyad admitted that “this has been an excellent year for me”.
“I broke the world record in London in July. Then, last month, I defied the odds to win bronze in the SEA Games. Now, I’m all fired up to break my world record at the Asean Para Games.
“It will be really great if I can achieve this feat on home soil and in front of all the fans. I have done it before and I can do it again,” said the cheerful Ziyad.
For Abdul Latif, the sky is the limit. His attempt to break his long jump world record at the KL SEA Games was dashed when he suffered from food poisoning just a day before his event.
“But nothing’s going to stop me from achieving it at the Asean Para Games. I’m physically and mentally ready to do it this time,” said Abdul Latif, who finished seventh in the SEA Games with a jump of 7.34m.