National powerlifting ace, Bonnie Bunyau Gustin and para athlete, Siti Nooriasah Mohamad Ariffin will be the bearers of the Jalur Gemilang at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games opening ceremony this August 24th!
Malaysian Paralympic Council (PCM) president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said both athletes selected symbolised the racial diversity in Malaysia, while their previous achievements were also taken into consideration.
Photo via Majlis Sukan Negara
“Bonnie is a Bidayuh athlete from Sarawak, while Siti Nooriasah is a female Malay athlete.
“Although Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious country, we want to show the world that we are all united,” he said when contacted by BERNAMA.
Megat D. Shahriman, who is also the Malaysian chef de mission to the Tokyo Paralympics, said Bonnie was chosen based on his reputation as a world champion and the holder of the world record in the 72 Kilogrammes & Above category, while Siti Nooriasah finished fourth in the Women’s 400 Meters T20 (learning disabilities) category at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
Photo via Paralympic.org
Bonnie broke the world record for the men’s over 72 Kilogrammes category at the 11th Fazza Dubai 2021 Para Powerlifting World Cup in the United Arab Emirates en route to winning gold in June, thus erasing the previous mark of 229kg set by Iran’s Roohallah Rostami at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games in Indonesia.
Megat D. Shahriman also said that the Malaysian contingent’s preparation was running smoothly and reminded the para athletes to always take care of their health and to comply with the SOPs set by the organisers.
He also hoped that the para athletes would prepare themselves mentally and physically to compete in their respective events, as well as to quickly familiarise themselves with the environment in Japan.
Photo via Berita Harian
Apart from Bonnie and Nooriasah, three other athletes namely 2016 Rio gold medallist Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (athletics); 2019 world champion S. Suresh (archery) and 2017 ASEAN Para Games gold medallist Abu Samah Borhan (wheelchair tennis) would also take part in the opening ceremony!
Two medical officers and two officials from the secretariat are also expected to take part in the opening ceremony.
The 22 national para athletes will compete in nine sports at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, which are scheduled to end on September 5th!
We can’t wait to see Team Malaysia in action! All the best, and always remember that you are luar biasa!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
