Report & Data Visualisation: Shaza Al Muzayen
Editor: Sakina Mohamed
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has a proud sporting history when it comes to competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Malaysia’s Olympians have won a total of 15 medals since the country’s first appearance at the Melbourne 1956 Olympics - eight silver and seven bronze medals.
Badminton has contributed the most to the medal count with 11 medals (six silver and five bronze). Siblings (Datuk) Razif and (Datuk Seri) Jalani Sidek delivered Malaysia’s first ever Olympic medal at Barcelona 1992, taking home bronze in the men’s doubles match.
The two medals most recently won by Malaysia at the Paris Olympics also came from badminton.
Badminton men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik won bronze after downing the Danish pairing of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. The next medal, also a bronze, came from Lee Zii Jia after he defeated India’s Lakshya Sen in three sets that lasted an exhausting 71-minutes.
The glimmer of gold, however, still remains elusive for Malaysia’s Olympic team.
Malaysia’s Paralympians on the other hand have shown much better form in their Games when compared to their Olympic compatriots.
Since Malaysia’s debut at the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics, its Paralympians have won an impressive total of 21 medals -- eight gold, six silver and seven bronze (medal tally includes medals won at the Paris 2024 Paralympics).
Mariappan Perumal won Malaysia’s first Paralympic medal at the Seoul 1988 Paralympics when he bagged a bronze in weightlifting.
The Paralympic team clinched its first gold at Rio 2016 through the efforts of Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli. He topped the leaderboard at the men's F20 (intellectual disability) shot put event, setting a then world record throw of 16.84 metres.
The Rio 2016 Paralympics would also see Malaysia go on to win another two gold medals.
Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi took home gold in the men's 100-metre T36 (physical impairment) event, while Datuk Abdul Latif Romly’s gold medal came courtesy of his win in the men's T20 (learning disability) long jump event.
The Paris 2024 Paralympics have contributed five more medals to the Paralympic medal haul.
Malaysia’s first medal in Paris, a bronze, was won by sprinter Eddy Bernard in the men’s 100-metre T44 (physical impairment) event. Para badminton ace, Cheah Liek Hou, gifted Malaysia its second medal - and first gold at Paris - after defeating Indonesian Suryo Nugroho in the men’s singles SU5 (physical impairment) finals.
Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli cured the heartbreak he experienced at Tokyo 2020 by taking home silver in the men's F20 (intellectual disability) shot put event. National powerlifting star Bonnie Bunyau Gustin ensured himself a place in the history books when his world record-breaking lift of 232kg secured Malaysia its second gold at Paris.
Datuk Abdul Latif Romly capped off Malaysia’s medal run at the Paris 2024 Paralympics when he won silver in the T20 (intellectual disability) men’s long jump event.
-- BERNAMA