PARA SUKMA: ARCHERY EMPOWERS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

KUCHING, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Involvement in sports is an effective tool in uplifting people with disabilities (PwD) to escape depression, face life confidently, and chase sporting excellence and medals.

Regardless of being born with a condition or being disabled due to an accident or health, it is not easy for any individual to continue living differently from the majority of society.

Among them is Selangor recurve archery athlete Shazleen Elneesha Saiful Azmi, who lost her right leg due to stage four knee cancer when she was just 12 years old.

Shazleen Elneesha, now 22 years old, said at first, she was depressed, avoided meeting people and lamented her misfortune when her peers were able to run and jump as well as enjoy their childhood.

She later took up archery after her grandmother, Faridah Osman, introduced her to the sport.

Shazleen will compete in the women's singles and mixed team events at the 2024 Malaysian Para Games (Para SUKMA) here.

"I used to be active in sports, which involved a lot of leg movements, such as netball and volleyball, in addition to parade marching. When I lost my leg, I was down. The turning point was when I was called to give a talk to children who have cancer about life after the disease.

"When I shared a story about having a positive life, I too became positive and wanted to be successful. I had to get involved in a sport that uses hands, so I chose archery. At first I was the only para-athlete, then other para-athletes came in," she said when met by Bernama during an adaptation session at the Petra Jaya Archery Range today.

Meanwhile, Kedah archer K. Thilagavathy braved challenges and hard training as an athlete despite being busy as a wife and mother of an eight-year-old child.

The 35-year-old athlete, who works as a part-time coach and runs a small flower business, says her family was the primary motivation for staying active in the sport.

"I was born with a bent right leg and had to amputate it and use a prosthetic leg. 

I am happy and proud to be an athlete because it can give you confidence and get you out of your comfort zone.

"Time management is essential because I have to undergo training, especially when there is a tournament. I hope more people with disabilities can take up sports because it will give them purpose in life … I appreciate the support of my husband and children, who often accompany me to training and help a lot," she said.

Thilagavathy, who won bronze at the 2014 ASEAN Para Games in Myanmar, said if one wants to achieve something in life, one has to strive and work hard to attain it.

Meanwhile, Faridah, 60, the Selangor archery squad coach, said sport was an essential tool for people with disabilities to escape from a life plagued with feelings of uncertainty and disappointment.

"Sports is an excellent avenue for them to expose and prove themselves, rather than being locked up in houses, while parents feel ashamed for having disabled children.

"In fact, we have taken a few of them, who were sad about life, and exposed them to sports. It helped them to come out of depression and make themselves happy," said the archery coach with 33 years of experience.

The archery competition, which offers 14 gold medals in this Para SUKMA edition, will take place from tomorrow until Friday.

-- BERNAMA