Age no barrier as Ridzuan wins 100m gold in World Para GP

I still got it: Mohd Ridzuan Puzi (right) recorded 12.51 to beat Iraq’s Abdulsattar Challoob into second place at the Rades Athletics Stadium in Tunis.

KUALA LUMPUR: Rio 2016 Paralympic Games champion Mohd Ridzuan Puzi may be hitting 35 in September but he is still a force to be reckoned with in his category after winning the 100m T35/36 (physical impairment) race at the 2023 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia.

Ridzuan, fondly called ‘Dek Wan’, recorded 12.51 to beat Iraq’s Abdulsattar Challoob into second place with a time of 13.04 at the Rades Athletics Stadium in Tunis.

Morocco’s Anass Sikouk took bronze in a time of 13.69.

Another Malaysian, Mohd Afiq Ali Hanafiah, won silver in the 100m T11/12 (visual impairment) in a time of 11.67.

Uzbekistan’s Mansur Abdirashidov won the event in a time of 11.28 while bronze went to Mohd Ayade of Iraq in 12.09.

Ridzuan has a personal best of 11.87, which was recorded in the 2018 Para Asian Games in Jakarta.

Ridzuan missed the opportunity to defend his Paralympic gold he won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 after finishing fourth in the final with 12.15 at the Tokyo edition of the Games held in 2021.

Having dipped under 13 seconds will give Ridzuan plenty of hope to fight for qualification for the Paris Paralympics next year where he hopes to make his third appearance.

The 2015 world champion sprinter parted with his long-time coach R. Jaganathan last year.