KUALA LUMPUR – Former world champion para-sprinter Mohamad Ridzuan Puzi finds himself at a crossroads, needing to resolve a pressing dilemma if he hopes to compete in his third Paralympic Games in Paris this August.
National para-athletics coach Hamberi Mahat has disclosed his ongoing efforts to reignite Ridzuan’s drive and unleash his full potential, ensuring that the 36-year-old sprinter can deliver a stellar performance at the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, on May 17.
Despite Ridzuan’s past achievement of a personal best record of 11.87 seconds(s) in the T36 100m sprint, a world record in 2019, he has struggled to replicate that form in recent competitions.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Ridzuan narrowly missed defending his gold medal from Rio 2016, finishing in fourth place with a time of 12.15s.
Similarly, at the 2022 Asia Para Games in Hangzhou, Ridzuan’s quest for gold was thwarted by a disqualification due to a false start in the final race.
“Ridzuan still possesses the potential for success. During training sessions, when running solo, he consistently achieves times around 11.7 or 11.8s.
“But when he competes in actual championships, he cannot replicate the same performance. Personally, I am not sure of the reason behind this.
“I have brought this issue to the attention of the National Sports Institute (NSI) to get a sports psychologist to help him overcome this problem.
“The Paralympic Games are approaching soon, and I hope he can overcome this issue before the competition begins,” said Hamberi to Scoop.
Ridzuan’s last gold medal victory at the world meet dates back to 2015 in Doha. However, in the previous edition held in Dubai in 2019, he settled for a bronze medal.
Joining Ridzuan in Kobe next month are Muhammad Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi, Ahmad Fizzi Rosni, and Afiq Ali Hanafiah.
Fizzi, the gold medalist at the 2022 Para Sukma Games, will compete in the same category as Ridzuan, while Afiq will vie in the T11 category for the 100m sprint event.
Meanwhile, Ammar will showcase his prowess in the 400m T20 event.
“Beyond aiming for medals at the World Championships, my aspiration is to see my athletes qualify for Paris.
“Based on their impressive performance during training, Ammar and Fizzi are poised to make their debut appearances at the Paralympic Games, while Afiq, a longstanding member of the national team, must affirm his capabilities,” he added. – April 15, 2024