Paralympic Heroes Steal Attention During Umrah Trip

From Farhanah Azmi MADINAH, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- After their feat of winning three gold medals and a bronze at the Paralympic Games in Rio last September, national paralympic athletes have become household names among Malaysians. The presence of the four athletes - Mohamad Ziyad Zolkefli, Mohamad Riduan Mohamad Puzi, Abdul Latif Romly, and Siti Nor Radiah Ismail - was indeed a pleasant surprise for Malaysian pilgrims here. The four arrived here on Monday to perform Umrah under DRB-Hicom sponsorship, given as an appreciation to them for making the country proud. "I never thought I'd get to meet with Ziyad and Latif here. I know they are coming to perform Umrah and I'm honoured to have met them," said Muhd Zaki Ibrahim of Johor Bahru. He said he was very proud with the success of the country's paralympic athletes, and hoped they would continue creating more success stories after this. The Paralympic athletes and their families were part of a group taken to visit the mosque of Quba and Mount Uhud, as well as several other places of interest here today. During the visit, many pilgrims from Malaysia took the opportunity to pose with them. Abdul Latif's mother Salmah Yatim said she was very thankful for the opportunity given to her son and also his entire family. "I know Latif is now known by many people, but he prefers to be by himself, as he feels awkward if too many people recognise him," she added. -- BERNAMA