KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — The 95-strong Kuala Lumpur contingent is targeting 25 gold medals and a top-five finish in the six-day Para Malaysia Games (Para Sukma) 2022 scheduled to begin on Tuesday (November 1).
Contingent head coordinator Mohd Faidurrida Yusoff hopes that the target set would help them improve on their previous seventh placing out of 15 teams when they returned with a haul of 19 golds, 25 silvers and 21 bronzes in the 2018 edition in Perak.
“Some of the sports we expect that will be gold mines for us this time are athletics, badminton and bowling,” he told reporters after the Para Sukma delegation registration meeting (DRM) here today.
Mohd Faidurrida also announced three athletes — two bowlers and one swimmer — from the intellectual impairment category had been disqualified from competing in the Para Sukma after they exceeded the intelligence level in the classification screening test conducted earlier.
He also did not rule out the possibility of other athletes from the physical impairment and visual impairment categories being disqualified either when they undergo similar tests on Sunday (October 30) and Monday (October 31).
Earlier, Games secretariat head Mohd Yazid Shoib told a media conference that the National Sports Council (NSC) was 100 ready to host the Para Sukma.
Although athletes who have represented the country at the Paralympics are not allowed to compete, he still expects the Para Sukma to be a grand affair with the participation of those who had competed in the Asian and Asean Para Games.
Speaking of the DRM, Mohd Yazid said it was held for the first time to give the state contingents guidelines on confirming registration, accommodation, transportation as well as matters involving the accreditation of athletes and officials.
He added a total of 30 dope tests had been carried out randomly by the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (Adamas) to identify the banned substances used by athletes at the Para Sukma.
A total of 10 sports and 294 events will be contested at the Para Sukma 2022 which will be held around the Klang Valley from November 1 to November 6.
— Bernama
