World para shot putt champ Ziyad is restless and worried.
A lack of competition is making two-time world para shot putt champion Ziyad Zolkefli restless and worried.
If things had gone as planned, Ziyad would now have been in Tokyo to bid to defend his Paralympic title but the Games had to be postponed to next year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Paralympic Games were originally supposed to start today (yesterday) but it did not happen because of the pandemic.
“It has affected my plans as I don’t think I am going for any overseas competitions this year.
“I am worried but there is nothing we can do as everyone is in the same situation,” said Ziyad, who had to cut short his training stint in Germany in March when the situation in Europe worsened.
“It would have been good to gauge my form as I had been scheduled to compete in two meets in Germany,” added Ziyad, who was at Bukit Jalil for the National Sports Council Merdeka Day countdown.
All the world record holder in the men’s F20 (intellectual impairment) category can do now is to make the best of the situation.
“I am not sure whether there will be any competition before the Paralympics and I can only train here.
“At least, I feel better about my performance level after almost three months of training here. My form was really bad after we had to stop training in March.
“My target is still the same no matter what – to defend my Paralympic title,” said Ziyad, who set his world record distance of 17.29m when winning gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in London in 2017.