A former national Paralympian is sharing his disappointment of seemingly being forgotten after he had once brought glory to Malaysia at an international level.
According to a report by Kosmo, 53-year-old Zul Amirul Sidi Abdullah, who is disabled from his lower torso to the feet, had retired in 2017 after winning 3 gold medals consecutively at the Osaka tournament in Japan (2006 and 2007), as well as 1 gold medal and 3 silver medals at the 2011 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
He also represented Malaysia at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
“I don’t want to blame anyone, I just feel aggrieved as if my contributions to the country and state were forgotten after I retired as an athlete. Fortunately, the National Sports Council (MSN) helped by appointing me as the promoter of Paralympic swimming athletes with an allowance of RM350 a month,” he said.
Besides the RM350 a month, Zul Amirul also earns an income of less than RM1,000 a month as a private swimming coach.
“I really hope for some kind of assistance from the government, at least as a token of appreciation for my services as an athlete who once brought glory to the country,”
“I am indeed registered with the National Athletes Welfare Foundation, but perhaps I was overlooked. I hope that after this, for any disabled athletes who have retired, (the government should) help them because it may be difficult for us to put hope in other professions,” he explained.
Almost resorted to begging
Zul Amirul, who is from Sarawak, is saddened that, despite his 17 years of experience in swimming, his job as a coach does not earn him much.
Due to this causing financial issues, he even considered begging on the streets, but chose not to for his wife and kids.
“I don’t want to embarrass my wife and children, that’s why I still try to earn a living for my family. If it’s possible, I really hope that parties use my talent to train new athletes,” he added.
His talents in training have proven fruitful before, as his 2 children have made names for themselves as athletes representing Negeri Sembilan.
Should you wish to share a contribution to Zul Amirul, you can do so via his Maybank account (1551-3504-9711) or contact him directly at 014-7344 835.
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