Bonnie, Siti Nooriasah named as Tokyo Paralympics flag bearers

KUALA LUMPUR: National powerlifting ace Bonnie Bunyau Gustin and para athlete Siti Nooriasah Mohamad Ariffin have been chosen to be the flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics on Aug 24.

Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said both the athletes selected symbolised the racial diversity in Malaysia, while their previous achievements were also taken into consideration.

"Bonnie is a Bidayuh athlete from Sarawak while Siti Nooriasah is a female Malay athlete.

"So, although Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country, we want to show the world that we are all united," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

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 over-72kg category while Siti Nooriasah finished fourth in the women's 400m T20 (learning disability) category at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Bonnie broke the world record for the men's over-72kg 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.

Meanwhile, Megat D Shahriman said 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 standard operating procedure 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.

Apart from Bonnie and Siti 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 march past.

Megat D Shahriman, two medical officers and two officials from the secretariat are also expected to take part in the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium on Aug 24.

The 22 national para athletes will compete in nine sports at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, which are scheduled to end on Sept 5.

-- BERNAMA