Worthy contender: Zy Lee Kher qualified on merit for the Paris Paralympics from Aug 28-Sept 8.
PETALING JAYA: National para swimmer Zy Lee Kher and his family are hanging on to a sliver of hope as they continue their fight to see the 17-year-old compete at the Paris Paralympics next month.
After finding out that Zy would not be in the contingent heading to the Paris Paralympics from Aug 28-Sept 8 despite having qualified on merit, Zy and his family have exhausted all avenues in seeking help.
And they are making one more final plea to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, Sports Dispute Committee chairman Datuk Low Beng Choo and International Paralympic Council (IPC) to step in.
Walter Lee, father of Zy, said his son has represented Malaysia for five years and significantly contributed to the country’s qualification for the Paris Paralympics.
However, Walter has formally raised questions regarding the selection process conducted by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) and Malaysian Para Swimming Association (Prepma).
Both the PCM and Prepma have responded by sticking to their decision but Walter still believes that it was unfair to choose Imaan Aiman Redzuan, the third-ranked athlete, over Zy.
Currently, Prepma have decided that Imaan and Nur Syaiful Zulkafli will be representing Malaysia at the Paralympics.
“To select Imaan over Zy, who holds the second-highest ranking, and to assign him a bipartite (wildcard) slot, is unjust and lacks transparency,” said Walter.
“My son has dedicated his life to this sport and has earned his place based on merit. All three athletes deserve to be selected and sent to compete based on their rankings and performance,” he said.
Walter is hoping Hannah and the relevant authorities would conduct a thorough investigation into the selection process conducted by PCM and Prepma. Zy had previously made an emotional plea to Hannah, begging for an intervention into the matter but there was no response from the minister.
“We hope for future selection processes to be transparent and meticulously documented to ensure that deserving athletes like Zy are given their rightful opportunity to compete in the Paralympics,” said Walter.
The family remains hopeful that perhaps through intervention, a just resolution can be achieved, and Zy’s rightful place as a representative of Malaysia in the Paris Paralympics will be restored.
