Eddy aims for Tokyo Paralympics after Dubai high
KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen-yearold para athlete Eddy Bernard has been in excellent form this year.
The Sabahan made a memorable outing in the second Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which ended on Thursday, by winning two gold medals in the Under-18 T37 (cerebral palsy) 100m and long jump events.
He clocked 12.80 in the 100m and 5.82m in the long jump.
Eddy was thrilled with his achievements.
“I never expected to win two golds as I was not sure about the strength of the other athletes.
“I just stayed focus and gave my best. It also feels great as I improved on my personal best in the long jump,” said Eddy, who is the youngest among the six siblings.
His previous best was 5.76m en route to the Asean Para Games gold at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil in September.
Eddy was drafted into the national para athlete squad early this year and has been producing encouraging results.
“The Asean Para Games was my first international meet and I won two golds. And this two golds from Dubai has spurred me to become a world-class athlete.
“To realise my dream, I will train hard to feature in the Tokyo Paralympics (2020),” added Eddy, who thanked coach Tony Sawan for preparing him for the Asean Para Games and Asian Youth Para Games.
Tony, who is the Sabah para athletics coach, said Eddy has a bright future.
“I only trained him for three weeks and he won two golds in Dubai. He is not only talented but also a dedicated and committed athlete. I believe he can go far,” said Tony.
Malaysia also won two bronzes through Muhd Zulhaizat Zainal Abidin in the Under-20 T13 (visual impairment) 200m and 400m.
He clocked 25.04 in the 200m and 57.86 in the 400m.