MALAYSIA will submit an appeal to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Athletics (WPA) regarding the controversial results of the men’s shot put F20 (intellectual impairment) category at the Tokyo Paralympics today.

Chef de mission Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the process of appealing to both world bodies would be done tomorrow.

“For now, I do not want to say anything else. We have to be sensitive regarding this matter,” he told Bernama, adding that he would release an official statement tomorrow.

He had earlier lodged a protest with the Tokyo Paralympics technical committee regarding the status of national athlete Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli, who was classified as did not start (DNS) although he completed all his throws in the final at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium here.

Ziyad had earlier broken his own world record twice en route to what he thought would earn him the gold medal before a protest was lodged against him.

He hurled 17.94m to retain his Paralympic men’s shot putt F20 title at the Olympic Stadium.

However, the protest launched by the Ukraine team on the grounds that he was late entering the roll call area resulted in officials removing the results of Ziyad and two other competitors.

Ukrainian Koval Maksym was declared the winner with 17.34m. His third attempt bettered Ziyad’s first attempt of 17.31m.

Ziyad previously held the world record of 17.29m set at the World Para Athletics Championships in London four years ago.

Another Ukraine competitor Oleksandr Yarovyi was awarded the silver with 17.30m. – Bernama, August 31, 2021.