After a couple of months of ongoing investigations, the truth behind Paralympian Ziyad Zolkefli’s retraction of the gold medal has finally come to light.
A quick recap
Ziyad’s gold medal was immediately denied by the Olympic Committee despite achieving a world record on the men’s shot put (F20) final, breaking the previous record of 17.92m with 17.94m. The gold medal went to Maksym Koval, who was initially in the 2nd place and that had sparked fury among netizens. Ziyad was categorized as Did Not Start (DNS) as he was late to the call room prior to the event, and investigations have taken place since.
The outcome
The investigations by the World Para Athletes (WPA) and The Internal Investigation Committee have revealed that Ziyad was indeed late to the call room prior to the event. Youth & Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said that both Ziyad and his coach failed to provide any solid evidence to prove that they reported to the call room on time, as they claimed, reported Utusan.
The decision was made after numerous interview sessions and going through related documents obtained by the committee.
While they have accepted the decisions, the Paralympic Council of Malaysia insists on submitting their views following the confusion on the rules regarding DNS that was imposed on the latecomers.
“Ziyad and two other athletes from Australia and Ecuador were late, but they were still allowed to perform.”
As for our beloved athlete himself, he expressed that the final decision was accepted with an open heart and his tardiness was something that happened without him and his coach realizing it, as reported by Astro Awani.
“Please forgive us for disappointing everyone. Trust us, we never wanted it to happen this way and we take this as a lesson,” he acknowleged his mistakes and assured that this will not dampen his spirit.
According to BFM News, the committee had no intention to pursue the matter further and Ziyad also reminded Malaysians to not throw any abuse at Ukraine’s gold medallist, Maksym Koval.
“Like me, he has feelings too.”
Following this decision, the Ministry of Youth & Sports has urged all parties to be more careful and more responsible in the future to avoid history from repeating itself. They also assured that Ziyad’s contribution to the country will always be remembered and appreciated.
Despite the dream to win the gold medal again may seem impossible, Ziyad Zolkefli will remain a champion figure in our hearts!
Do you think the tardiness has caused him a lot of grief? Let us know in the comments below!
