It’s bye-bye golden hopes in Dubai

KUALA LUMPUR: The lustre is wearing off for the national athletes in the World Para Athletics Championships.

They had gone to Dubai with a target of at least two golds but to date, have only managed three silvers and a bronze.

Expectations had been high on Abdul Latif Romly to defend his men’s long jump F20 title at the Dubai Club For People With Determination Stadium yesterday but the 22-year-old, who holds the world record of 7.64m, was a letdown.

He managed a jump of 7.24m to settle for silver.

Ranki Oberoi of Holland broke the meet record with a leap of 7.39m en route to win gold in the 15-athlete field.

The Dutchman’s effort was two centimetres better than Abdul Latif’s record of 7.37m set in London two years ago.

Roberto Carlos Chala Espinoza of Ecuador took the bronze with an effort of 6.88m.

Abdul Latif was clearly disappointed with his efforts.

“I came to Dubai with high hopes of winning my third consecutive gold in the world meet. But I will return with a silver. I am disappointed because my effort was nowhere near my personal best,” said Abdul Latif, who won gold in the world meet in Doha, Qatar, in 2015 and in London in 2017.

“I started off well by doing 7.10m in the first jump to be placed number one but the Dutchman cleared a personal best of 7.39m in the second jump to take the first place.

“I tried my level best to do a better jump but I failed.

“I have some soul searching to do to find a way to improve my technique in jumps and also wrest back my title in the Paralympics in Tokyo next year,” said the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics gold medallist.

Last week, Mohd Ziyad Zolkefli had also failed to defend his shot putt F20 (intellectual impairment) title.

The two-time world champion took home the silver with an effort of 17.03m, which was well off his world record of 17.29m set in London two years ago.

The other silver was won by Jonathan Wong Kar Gee in the men’s long jump T12 (visual impairment) while Mohd Ridzuan Mohd Puzi in the men’s 100m T36 (cerebral palsy) contributed the bronze.