Dad fumes as world No 7 misses Paralympics over 'admin mistake'

The father of national para swimmer Zy Lee Kher, who is ranked seventh in the world, is upset that his son missed out on a chance to compete in the Paralympics due to an alleged administrative mistake.

Walter Lee claimed that Malaysian authorities assigned Zy a bipartile slot - which is part of a wildcard selection system - rather than a spot based on merit.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) rejected his application, stating that “bipartite slots have never been used for top 10 athletes.”

This decision has sparked controversy, especially since a merit-based slot was reportedly given to a lower-ranked swimmer, Imaan Aiman.

Walter (above) criticised the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) and the Malaysia Para Swimming Association (Prepma) for their athlete selection process.

At a press conference yesterday, he told the media that he has lodged complaints over the matter and is seeking a clear explanation of the selection criteria.

“We know the results but don’t understand how they were decided. Prepma should be transparent and adjustments need to be made to ensure justice and fairness.

“Transparency is crucial for a clear and fair selection process, not only for Zy but for the future of sports in Malaysia,” Walter said.

Prepma’s explanation

On July 16, Prepma confirmed that the decision to send Nur Syaiful Kulkafli and Imaan was final.

However, contrary to Walter’s claim, they explained that selection criteria included the likelihood of winning a medal, the number of events Malaysia can compete in, and the athletes’ past achievements.

Prepma president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin noted that Zy’s chances of winning were calculated at 90.1 percent (personal best)/88.2 percent (season's best) for S5 200m freestyle and 87.8 percent (personal best)/83.3 percent (season’s best) for SB4 100m breaststroke events, placing him third in the selection process.

They also explained that choosing Imaan, who competes in a different category, allows Malaysia to participate in more events.

If Zy was selected, Malaysia would be limited to four events in the S5 class, as both Zy and Syaiful compete in the same category.

Past achievements were also considered as Syaiful won a gold medal, Zy earned two bronze medals, and Imaan won a bronze at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games.

Megat added that Zy’s world ranking was considered, but the selection was based on timing rather than just rankings.

In response to Megat’s warning about Walter facing charges for misusing his position as a Prepma committee member and creating controversy with World Para Swimming without proper consultation, Walter told Malaysiakini that this issue goes beyond personal concerns.

He said that he made a final appeal to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh over the matter claiming that Prepma deliberately excluded Zy by applying for a bipartite slot in his name. He was told that the selection list was final.

The Paralympics will begin on Aug 28 but associations have already submitted their list of qualified athletes.

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