ZIYAD READY TO LAUNCH GOLD HUNT AFTER AIDILFITRI CELEBRATION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) – National para shot put ace Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli is all set to kickstart his hunt for gold at international championships this season once the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations are done and dusted.

He said that his first target would be at the 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco this month, followed by the Grand Prix in Paris (July) and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India (October).

The Selangor-born athlete said that he had started his preparations right after the 2024 Paris Paralympics and continued training even during the Ramadan fasting month.

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"The championships in Morocco will serve as a platform to reassess our potential again after such a long break since the Paralympic Games last year. Although it's already April, it feels like I’m just starting my season and my quest for gold this year.

"This phase is also for me to identify my weaknesses and shortcomings before the World Championships in India," he told Bernama recently.

Muhammad Ziyad, however, expressed some concerns as he has not competed on the international stage for some time.

He added that he would also need to be cautious with his diet as his first competition will be right after the Aidilfitri celebrations.

Regarding his training schedule during Ramadan, Muhammad Ziyad said: "I would train from morning till noon. Then, after breaking fast, I would perform the Tarawih prayers before training again from at 10 pm until 1 am."

For the record, Muhammad Ziyad failed in his bid to reclaim the gold medal in men's shot put F20 category (intellectual disability) at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, settling for a silver medal with a throw of 17.18 metres (m) at Stade de France.

Muhammad Ziyad had previously taken bronze in London in 2012 before stepping up to clinch gold in Rio de Janeiro four years later. In the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, he returned home empty-handed.

-- BERNAMA