PARA SUKMA: ELVSIUS’ STRONG ARM STRIKES AGAIN, COMPLETES GOLDEN HAT-TRICK

KUCHING, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Nearly giving up on life after losing his left leg in a road accident 10 years ago, Sabah athlete Elvsius John had no choice but to rely entirely on the strength of his arms, which gave him a new lease on life.

Today, Elvsius once again proved the power of his arms by not only sweeping all three gold medals but also breaking the Games records in all three different disciplines he participated in at the Malaysia Para Games (Para SUKMA) 2024 at the Sarawak Stadium here.

The 30-year-old  completed his golden hat-trick this edition by winning the F57 discus throw (physical disability) with a record-breaking distance of 32.18 metres, erasing his previous games record of 31.99m set in the 2022 edition.

He fended off the challenge from two Selangor athletes, Muhammad Aizam Balqish Mohd Daniel Dangis (30.32m) and Aliff Shafiq Muhamad  (30.15m) , who claimed silver and bronze, respectively.

Grateful for his success in Kuching, the athlete from Telupid was almost in disbelief that his right arm continues to bring him luck, especially after dominating his final event, following gold wins in the F57 javelin throw on Monday and the F57 shot put yesterday.

“I didn’t expect to break the (Games) record in today’s event as I admit I was not consistent during training, maybe this is a blessing from God,” he told reporters.

Earlier, Elvsius shattered the eight-year-old Games Record (GR) in the F57 javelin throw, previously held by Faridul Masri (27.02m), with a new distance of 27.43m. He also recorded a throw of 9.31m in the F57 shot put, surpassing Faridul’s 2018 GR of 9.22m.

He dedicated today’s feat to his two daughters, Lanie, two 2, and Liana, one.

Reflecting on the dark moments in his life, Elvsius shared the difficulty of coming to terms with the accident after a 10-tonne truck hit the motorcycle he was riding in Telupid.

“For more than a year, I used crutches because I refused to wear a prosthetic leg. I had no motivation and even thought it would be better not to exist, what’s the point if all I do is lie down and do nothing,” he said.

However, the sixth of ten siblings said the unwavering support from his family helped him rise again, realising that sports could change his life, as it has today.

After initially participating in a sports event in Sandakan just to try his luck, Elvsius never imagined that a coach would recognise his talent, eventually leading him to success at the Para SUKMA. Now, he dreams of representing Malaysia on the international stage one day.

-- BERNAMA