LONDON: Malaysian paralympian Muhamad Ziyad Zolkefli (pic) secured a bronze medal at the ongoing London Paralympic Games here today.
Muhamad Ziyad, 22, who hails from Gombak Selangor, pulled off the feat in the men's shot put F20 category (cognitive disability) when he threw a distance of 15.21 meters.
This is Malaysia's second medal at this Games. The first, a silver, was won by Hasihan Sanawi in the men’s individual recurve W1/W2 (wheelchair) event on Monday.
The gold was won by Todd Hodgetts of Australia who threw 16.29 metres while Sweden's Jeffrey Ige took the silver (15.50 metres).
All the three winners broke the Paralympics 12-year-old record of 13.10 meters set by Krzysztof Kaczmarek of Poland at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000.
"I am very happy to have won a medal at this Paralympics. I had targetted a medal finish.
"I dedicate this medal to both my parents and all the people of Malaysia who have been unwavering in their support for us (Malaysian paralympians)," said Muhammad Ziyad, who is making his Paralympics debut at this London Games.
He said he was under no pressure when competing in the event even though his third throw was disqualified by the judges.
"It was my fault but my concentration was not affected. I gave it all I had," he said.
He recorded the 15.21 meters in his second attempt after matching his personal best of 13.79 meters in the first.
He did 14.35m in his fourth attempt and 14.13m and 14.36m in the fifth and sixth respectively.
Meanwhile, Adderin Majurin only managed to come out 15th out of 20 competitors in javelin in the men's F32/33/34 category(cerebral palsy).
His best throw was 24.26 meters.
The event was won by Wang Yanzhang of China who recorded 49.03 meters while the silver and bronze went to Hani Alnakhli of Saudi Arabia (34.65m) and Algeria's Lahouari Bahlaz dari Algeria (22.30m) respectively.
- Bernama
Incentive Scheme for National Paralympians Remains As It Is Now - Zolkples
LONDON: The incentive scheme for national paralympians remains as it is now, said National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong.
"So far here has been no suggestions to change it. There has been many news news reports saying the Shakam incentive scheme governing rewards for national athletes differs for paralympians as compared to normal athletes and there is also no provision of pensions for paralympians.
"As for pensions for paralympians, the government has no plans as yet to introduce it for paralympians," he told Bernama in clarifying on the reports, here today.
Zolkples is also the Chef-de-Mission of the Malaysian contingent to the London Paralympic Games.
Under the Shakam incentive scheme, gold medal winners at the Olympics will receive a one-off payment of RM1 million while silver and bronze medal winners receive RM300,000 and RM100,000 respectively.
They also receive lifetime pensions amounting to RM5,000 (gold medal winners), RM3,000 (silver) and RM2,000 (bronze).
On the other hand, the rewards for paralympians are RM300,000 (gold medal winners), RM200,000 (silver) and RM100,000 (bronze) respectively and without any pensions.
According to Zolkples, the current provisions for paralympians were based on International Paralympics Committee guidelines, besides categories not fixed for paralympic events making it difficult to follow the scheme for Olympians.
"Unlike the Beijing Paralympics, at the London Games we had many categories that were merged, particularly in athletics and swimming. There were events which merged three categories because of lack of participation.
"Compared to the Olympics, the Paralympics has too many events. In athletics alone there are 170 events, swimming 148, table-tennis 29 and cycling 50. Thus it is difficult to equate the Paralympics with the Olympics," he said, adding that in Malaysia, since the NSC took over the training programmes for national paralympians since 2007, their welfare had been well looked after.
- Bernama
Jenazah Hanisah Selamat Dikebumikan di Dungun Pagi Tadi
DUNGUN: Jenazah Hanisah Muhd Shah yang terbunuh dalam kemalangan jalan raya di Vladimirskaya, Rusia Ahad lepas, selamat dikebumikan pada 7.55 pagi tadi di tanah perkuburan Islam Syed Yahya di Kampung Molek di sini hari ini.
Suasana pilu menyelubungi anggota keluarga dan jiran serta kenalan yang mula berkumpul sebelum subuh lagi di Masjid Tengku Ampuan Intan Zaharah di kampung tersebut.
Jenazah Hanisah, 22, pelajar tajaan Mara tiba di sini pada 6.53 pagi terus dibawa ke masjid tersebut untuk disembahyangkan selepas solat subuh sebelum terus dikebumikan dengan dihadiri lebih 100 kenalan.
Jenazah sebelum itu tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa (KLIA) 10.05 malam tadi dengan pesawat Emirates Airlines dari Dubai bersama jenazah seorang lagi pelajar Malaysia yang juga mangsa kemalangan sama, Adzreen Dimyati.
Manakala jenazah Adzreen, 22, pelajar tajaan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) disemadikan di tanah perkuburan Islam Presint 20 di Putrajaya 12.40 tengah malam tadi.
Dalam kejadian tersebut, Hanisah dan Adzreen maut manakala lima lagi rakannya yang juga pelajar cedera apabila van yang mereka naiki bertembung dengan sebuah van selepas mereka baru kembali ke negara itu memulakan pelajaran semesta baru.
Kesemua mereka adalah pelajar tahun 5 Akademi Perubatan Negeri Nizhny Novgorod dan sedang dalam perjalanan dari Moscow ke Nizhny selepas pulang bercuti di Malaysia ketika kemalangan maut itu berlaku.
- Bernama
Kerajaan Tidak Amalkan Kuota Jemaah Haji Ikut Negeri, Kata Jamil Khir
JITRA, 8 Sept (Bernama) -- Kerajaan tidak mengamalkan kuota mengikut negeri untuk menentukan jumlah jemaah haji setiap negeri menunaikan fardhu haji di tanah suci Mekah tetapi berdasarkan prinsip siapa mendaftar dulu didahulukan.
Menurut Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, penggunaan sistem kuota mengikut negeri akan menimbulkan banyak masalah.
"Sistem yang kita gunakan ini mudah dan praktikal... siapa daftar dulu dia pergi dulu tidak kira dia berasal dari mana," katanya semasa diminta mengulas laporan akhbar di Sarawak baru-baru ini yang memetik Majlis Agama Islam Sarawak tidak berpuas hati kerana Tabung Haji mengurangkan kuota jemaah haji negeri itu.
Beliau ditemui selepas perasmian kursus Perdana Haji peringkat negeri Kedah oleh anggota Jemaah Pemangku Sultan Kedah, Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah di Dewan Wawasan di sini malam tadi.
Laporan beberapa akhbar Sarawak menyebut jemaah Sarawak dikurangkan daripada 1,000 orang kepada 800 dan terkini 600 orang sahaja.
Jamil Khir berkata soal kuota negeri atau kawasan seharusnya tidak timbul kerana jumlah jemaah haji setiap negeri tidak pernah dikurangkan atau diambil oleh Tabung Haji.
Katanya jika kebetulan jemaah sesuatu negeri mendaftar tahun ini berkurangan dan negeri lain lebih banyak maka nama mereka dalam senarai Tabung Haji akan naik dalam senarai teratas.
"Kita harus ingat tidak semua rakyat sesebuah negeri akan bertolak ke tanah suci dari negeri asal mereka kerana ramai yang bertolak dari Kuala Lumpur atau tempat lain di mana mereka bekerja," tambahnya.
Mengenai kuota haji tambahan yang dipohon Malaysia, beliau berkata kerajaan Arab Saudi belum memberi kata putus namun akan terus berhubung dengan pihak berkuasa negara itu untuk mendapatkan keputusan.
"Kita tidak tahu apa halangan sehingga mereka (Arab Saudi) tidak menyatakan keputusan lebih awal. Kita pula janganlah timbulkan perkara yang memberi tanda yang membimbangkan dan boleh menyebabkan kerajaan Arab Saudi tidak yakin dengan Malaysia agar permohonan kita tidak terjejas," jelasnya.
Dalam ucapannya sebelum itu beliau berkata jumlah yang mendaftar untuk menunaikan fardhu haji dengan Tabung Haji sekarang berjumlah 935,000 orang sedangkan kuota semusim hanya 28,000 orang.
"Saya rayu mereka yang telah menunaikan rukun Islam kelima ini supaya memberi peluang kepada orang lain. Pergilah buat umrah sebanyak manapun."
Katanya penerbangan jemaah pertama ke tanah suci Mekah akan berlepas pada 17 September dan terakhir pada 19 Okt manakala wukuf pada 25 Okt. Penerbangan pulang terakhir pula dijangka pada 29 November.
Sementara itu, Tunku Sallehuddin dalam ucapannya mengingatkan jemaah haji Kedah supaya bersyukur dan menjaga kelakuan semasa berada di tanah suci Mekah.
"Syukurlah anda semua terpilih menjadi tetamu Allah pada tahun ini. Ramai lagi yang menunggu giliran. Jadi jagalah nama Malaysia sebagai negara Islam yang jemaah hajinya dihormati kerajaan Arab Saudi.
"Tunjukkanlah komitmen untuk mendapatkan haji mabrur di samping menjaga kesihatan, sentiasa bersabar dan berdoa kepada Allah SWT," katanya.
Lebih 2,400 bakal jemaah dari hampir 2,700 jemaah negeri ini menghadiri kursus dua hari itu bermula semalam.
- Bernama
