PETALING JAYA: Five-time world para champion Abdul Latif Romly has set his sights on bigger prizes after leaping to the men's long jump gold at the Malaysian Open on Sunday.
Latif defeated all the able-bodied athletes by clearing 7.76m in the athletics competition at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Stadium in Serdang.
His closest rivals - Terengganu’s Mohd Harith Haikal Mazli (7.31m) and Mohd Shahrizal Nasharuddin Isham (7.26m) took silver and bronze respectively.
The 29-year-old is now gearing up for the Para Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23-Aug 2 and eyeing a new T20 world record.
Record should tumble as he holds the current world record of 7.67m, which he had set at last year's world meet in New Delhi.
"It's a good jump and start to the year," said Latif, who had represented Perlis.
"The Malaysian Open was a good place to test myself before my Para season begins, especially with the Commonwealth Games coming up.
"I'm feeling 100 per cent fit. I just need to focus on conditioning, form and technique before the Glasgow trip.
"My hope is to clear 7.80m, and go beyond but I've to put in the work to make it happen.
His world championship triumphs span more than a decade: Doha (2015), London (2017), Paris (2023), Kobe (2024) and New Delhi (2025), a run of dominance that cements him as the greatest T20 long jumper of his generation.
On the Paralympic stage, Latif is equally formidable, having struck gold at both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games.
His able-bodied personal best of 7.85m, set at the 2018 Kuala Lumpur Open, further underscores the sheer natural talent underpinning his achievements.
