KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian para-badminton squad is eyeing the potential addition of another representative, a men’s singles player in the SU5 category (hand impairment), Mohd Fareez Anuar, to the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games in August.
Speaking to Scoop, Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) secretary-general Datuk R. Subramaniam said that they had officially requested an additional slot from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) earlier this month.
The qualification window for the Paris Paralympics closed on March 31, and Malaysia secured four slots, including gold medalists Cheah Liek Hou, Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli (WH1), Noor Azwan Noorlan (WH2), and Mohd Amin Burhanuddin (SL4).
According to the format set by the BWF, each country can only send one representative for each category.
However, Fareez, who competes in the same category as Liek Hou, is ranked sixth in the qualification ranking for Paris, and MPC is striving to secure the additional slot for Malaysia.
“Usually, according to the procedure, when a country seeks an additional slot, the BWF will consider the ranking of players from other countries. If they are not close and there is a vacancy, we have a good chance of obtaining another slot.
“The BWF’s principle is to have more countries participate while not compromising the ranking, and gender is the next factor.
“Of course, we are hoping for good news since the BWF office is in Kuala Lumpur, but at the same time, we cannot take things for granted. We will try whatever means possible,” said Subramaniam.
If Malaysia secures an additional slot, Fareez will also be eligible to compete in the men’s doubles event alongside Liek Hou.
For the record, in the 2020 edition in Tokyo, Indonesia sent two representatives for the SU5 category, namely Dheva Anrimusthi and Suryo Nugroho, both of whom are Liek Hou’s main rivals.
However, Liek Hou emerged victorious to secure Malaysia’s first gold medal in badminton at the Paralympic Games after defeating Dheva in the final match. – April 24, 2024