Muhammad Ziyad bin Zolkefli (born 15 March 1990) is a

Paralympic athlete The Paralympic sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. As of 2020, the Summer Paralympics included 22 sports and 539 medal events, and the Winter Paralympics include 5 sports and disciplines and about ...

from

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

who competes in T20 classification

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

events. He is the current world record holder in his event. Zolkefli represented Malaysia at the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

in London, where he won the bronze medal in the shot put. As well as Paralympic success, Muhammad Ziyad has won both the World Championship and Asian Para Games titles in his sport, in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Early life

Born in Selangor, Ziyad had an

intellectual impairment Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

that was identified in pre-school. He attended Sekolah Menengah Teknik Tanah Merah,

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in the ...

, and was the eldest of four siblings. Before he joined the

National Sports Council The National Sports Council (NSC) is the national overseer of the control authorities of 41 different sports in Bangladesh. It is responsible to the Bangladesh Ministry of Youth and Sports and is based in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. History After t ...

, Ziyad was selling

kueh teow ''Shahe fen'' (沙河粉), or simply ''he fen'' (河粉), is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice. Its Minnan Chinese name, translated from the Mandarin 粿條 (''guotiao''), is adapted into alternate names which are widely encounter ...

Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (formerly Batu Road) is a major one-way road in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The road is named after the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan. Attractions On the shoulders of this road are pr ...

Athletics career

In 2012, Ziyad came to prominence when he won the bronze medal with a throw of 15.21 m in the men's F20 shot put event at the

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He then registered a personal best of 15.23 m to win the gold medal at his first International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships in France. After his success at the 2013 World Championships, in which he won his country's only medal of the tournament, Ziyad was recognized as the National Paralympian Sportsman of the Year at the

Anugerah Sukan Negara Anugerah Sukan Negara () is an annual award ceremony in Malaysia, organised by the National Sports Council of Malaysia since 1966. The awards represent the nation's full recognition of remarkable Malaysian individuals from the world of sports, a ...

Rio de Janeiro Summer Paralympic 2016

At the

2016 Paralympic Games ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

, he again represented Malaysia and won the gold medal in the shot put event, setting a new world record.

2017 World Para Athletics Championship

At the event held in the evening at the London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Muhammad Ziyad threw a distance of 17.29 m to rewrite his previous world record of 16.84 m set at the previous year's Rio Paralympic Games in Brazil.

Tokyo Summer Paralympics 2020

At the

2020 Paralympic Games The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralymp ...

, he represented Malaysia again and won the gold medal in the

event, setting a new world record twice, and breaking the national record with a 17.94 m throw during his 3rd throw in the final. However, he was later disqualified for not showing up on the court on time, and a Ukrainian official had also shown his dissent over the gold medal being initially awarded to Muhammad Ziyad. Ukraine's Maksym Koval was awarded the gold medal in the relevant discipline.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : **

Officer of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

(KMN) (2017)

References

External links

Ziyad Zolkefli
on

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Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli - Tag Archive - Sports247.My
{{authority control Living people 1990 births Sportspeople from Kuala Lumpur Malaysian people of Malay descent Paralympic athletes for Malaysia Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Paralympic bronze medalists for Malaysia Paralympic gold medalists for Malaysia Malaysian male shot putters Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics World record holders in para-athletics SEA Games medalists in athletics SEA Games bronze medalists for Malaysia Officers of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Competitors at the 2017 SEA Games Competitors at the 2019 SEA Games SEA Games silver medalists for Malaysia Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Competitors in athletics with intellectual disability Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Competitors stripped of Paralympic medals Competitors at the 2021 SEA Games Competitors at the 2023 SEA Games Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships World Para Athletics Championships winners