MSDeaf hopes deaf athletes will get equal recognition

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The Malaysian Deaf Sports Association (MSDeaf) hopes that the government will give equal recognition to the ranks of deaf athletes following the proud success achieved at the 24th Deaflympics in Caxias do Sol, Brazil, in May.

MSDeaf president Ong Shin Ruenn said the achievements of Boon Wei Ying and Foo Zu Tung who won the women’s doubles badminton gold at the Games should be celebrated and recognised in the same way as the country’s normal and para athletes.

He said deaf athletes worked just as hard as normal athletes in trying to win medals, and even sacrificed time and energy to make the country proud on the international stage.

“Now is the time for the government to not only to recognise their contributions but to reward them appropriately for all their efforts. Most importantly recognition with the same respect and status as normal athletes. The recent victory certainly gives them that right,’’ he said in a statement yesterday.

The brilliant success achieved by Wei Ying-Zu Tung in Brazil ended Malaysia’s 21-year wait for a gold medal at the Games after the last time it was contributed by Zana Azizul Ujang in 2001.

At the same time, Ong said that with the success, deaf athletes also deserve to be rewarded like normal and para athletes under the National Sports Incentive Scheme (Shakam), besides paving the way for further support for deaf athletes.

He said that if evaluated, deaf athletes have the potential to compete with normal athletes in the future and that integration is important in their development beyond a career in sports.

“Sports is the best way to increase the involvement of our members in society and contribute something meaningful through sports for the country,” he said.

Ong believed that the need to continue to support and empower Deaf sports is not only important for the Deaf community but also for the entire country.

For the record, MSDeaf now has about 8,000 members across the country and has been a member of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf since 1997. — Bernama