Sucker punch as reward

Monday 6th September, 2021

The International Paralympics Committee’s decision to strip Malaysian shot putter, Ziyad Zolkefli, of his gold medal has triggered a social media firestorm. But the committee members have sought to defend their position. The reason they have adduced in a bid to justify their controversial decision is that Zolkefli arrived three minutes late for the F20 shot put event.

Zolkefli was allowed to participate in the competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, and disqualified after his gold-winning throw. Anyone who handles those with intellectual disabilities should be flexible, or if the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) thinks its decision is justifiable on the grounds that rules are rules and no athlete should be late, then it will have to explain why on earth it allowed Zolkefli to take part in the event. The argument that Zolkefli was allowed to compete because at the time the reason given for the delay was logical but it was later found to be otherwise is not convincing. It looks as if the Paralympics rules had to be changed as regards athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizul Azumu has taken up the cudgels on behalf of Zolkefli—and rightly so. Expressing his disappointment, he has said: “The athletes have waited for five years but their hopes and spirits were destroyed by a delay of not even five minutes … this is something which is very sad.” One cannot but agree with him. However, a wag says Minister Azumu is disappointed because he did not emulate his Sri Lankan counterpart, who was present at the Tokyo Olympics. He had enough time to learn from our man before the commencement of the Paralympics. If he had chartered a plane and gone to the Tokyo Paralympics, together with some of his pleasure-seeking ministerial colleagues, he would have been able to take up Zolkefli’s case, then and there, while enjoying life. Nothing escaped our youthful minister’s eyes, which spotted even a pair of spikes being brought in for one of our female athletes in Tokyo. He mistakenly thought she had not taken her spikes with her, and our ‘able-bodied’ athletes returned home empty-handed, but that is a different story.

If Malaysia is keen to take up Zolkefli’s case with the IPC, it should seriously consider enlisting the support of the incumbent IGP of Sri Lanka, whose recent special statement on the tardy progress in the ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage is ample proof of his adeptness at justifying delays; he is sure to make the IPC officials eat their words and restore the Malaysian’s gold.

The IPC should learn from Sri Lankans how to exercise patience and bear with delays. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was known for her delayed arrivals, which kept her ministers, officials, foreign dignitaries and the public waiting for hours when she was the President. But Sri Lankans are so tolerant that she was able to secure a second term. Her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to usher in a prosperous future, and Sri Lankans waited for 10 long years and gave him two terms besides a nearly two-thirds majority in Parliament. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe promised good governance, and the people waited for Godot without complaining until the duo caused their own downfall. Sri Lankans forgave the Rajapaksas and gave them a huge mandate, again, and have since been waiting very patiently for the election pledges to be fulfilled. Inordinate delays in the current government’s response to Covid-19 have already caused many deaths, but people are not protesting; those in power might even win future elections. It is a pity that the IPC has penalised an athlete with special needs over a three-minute delay.

When one looks at the circumstances that led to Zolkefli being stripped of his gold, one cannot help wondering whether the IPC members are intellectually challenged. Perhaps, it is still not too late for them to take remedial action.