In this Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, file photo, Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli of Malaysia reacts after competing in the men's shot put F20 final during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Zolkefli appeared to have won gold in the shot put in the F20 class. But after the victory on Tuesday, he was disqualified because he had shown up late for the competition. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
By Stephen Wade
Even in the Paralympics Games, there is controversy over victory and defeat.
Malaysian shot putter Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli appeared to have won gold in the shot put in the F20 class. But after the victory on Tuesday, he was disqualified because he had shown up late for the competition.
International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence said Zolkefli and two others — who did not reach the podium — were allowed to compete under protest after they failed to appear on time for the event.
“They were late, they may have had a logical reason for being late, and therefore we allowed them to compete and look at the facts of the matter afterward," Spence said.
A statement from World Para Athletics, which governs track and field for Para sports, said a referee had determined after the event that “there was no justifiable reason for the athletes' failure to report” on time. It said an appeal was also turned down.
The disqualification bumped Maksym Koval of Ukraine up to gold, and Ukraine teammate Oleksandr Yarovyi took silver. Bronze went to Efstratios Nikolaidis of Greece.
Spence said the disqualification was met with anger on social media. He described it as “very abusive.” Much of it targeted the Ukrainians.
“We are now seeing comments on all our social media posts that have nothing to do with the men’s shot put F20 event,” Spence said. He said the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee “was getting a lot of abuse from Malaysians.”
“I’m sorry. Rules are rules,” Spence said. "The decision was taken. It wasn’t the Ukrainians fault that the Malaysian was late.”
Spence said the three had arrived three minutes late. He said he did not see this as a harsh penalty. “Others get there five minutes early,” he said.
Spence said an excuse given was that the Malaysian and the two others said they “didn't hear the announcement or it was in a language” they did not understand.
The F20 class in shot put is for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The Associated Press attempted to reach the Malaysian delegation through an email address provided by IPC officials. There was no immediate response on Wednesday.
Early in 2019, the IPC stripped Malaysia of the World Para Swimming Championships for being unwilling to guarantee that Israeli athletes could compete.
Spence said the reaction then was similar.
“The level of abuse that was directed at the IPC then was through the roof,” Spence said.
Alex Glaze and Michael Jenkins size up Saturday's Final Four matchups while David Salituro tells us what to expect - and who to bet on - when it comes to MLB Opening Day and the Masters Tournament.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Olivia Harlan Dekker, Alex Glaze and ESPN College Gameday analyst LaPhonso Ellis deliver their top plays for the Round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament, with Glaze also discusses what Kyrie Irving's eligibility for home games means for the Nets title chances.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Olivia Harlan Dekker, Alex Glaze, and Sean Green provide viewers with all the intel they need to place winning bets and dominate their brackets during the NCAA Tournament, ranging from breakout performers, most likely upsets, and who will win it all.
Sponsored by BetMGM
With Selection Sunday just days away, Olivia Harlan Dekker and Tyler Fulghum break down Thursday night's action and the outlook for several key conference tournaments. Meanwhile, Alex Glaze dishes out his top plays for a star-studded Thursday night NBA doubleheader.
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Olivia Harlan Dekker breaks down Thursday night's top NBA games, Joe Ceraulo hones in on player props, and Trysta Krick delivers her lock of the night on the hardwood.
Partha Unnava, Founder and CEO and Lasso, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how the design behind these compression socks can prevent injuries and improve performance.
The United States Women’s National Team has settled its lawsuit over gender-based pay disparity with U.S. Soccer for $24 million. Filed in 2019, the settlement will end with all claims by the USWNT being resolved following a judge's dismissal of its case in 2020.
Coming off of the latest NFL season, Draftkings has plans for growth and new bettors to join its platform following what it saw as a record year of state legalization of sports betting and Super Bowl action. CEO Jason Robins joined Cheddar News to talk about what in store for the company in 2022, including labor issues leading to the postponement of the MLB's spring training games and the NCAA's March Madness. "There's a lot of really exciting stuff that happens in the first couple of rounds all the way through to the championship game. So typically we've seen incredible activity during March Madness on the betting side," Robins said.
PlayersTV is bringing sports viewers Athletes On Demand, a subscription platform to provide fans with thousands of hours of sports content from their favorite athletes. CEO Angela Bundrant joined Cheddar News to discuss the new rollout. "People can expect to receive content or buy into content on demand that comes from their favorite athletes," said Bundrant, listing star partners like the Phoenix Suns' Chris Paul and New Orleans Pelicans' C.J. McCollum.
