Paralympian Latif Romly's record bid thwarted by weather, but secures gold

Malaysian Paralympian Datuk Abdul Latif Romly's ambition to set a new world record at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was thwarted by unpredictable weather. This dashed his hopes of using the record-breaking performance as a stepping stone to qualify for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

Despite the disappointment, Latif managed to secure Malaysia's fifth gold medal at the Games, a feat he described as an unexpected blessing. "I didn't expect to contribute the fifth gold medal for Malaysia. This is my blessing," he said.

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I really wanted to break the world record, but with the weather not cooperating and it raining, it was quite difficult to do so. If the weather is too cold, it's really hard.

The 28-year-old athlete clinched the gold in the men's T20 long jump with a leap of 7.17 meters. He outjumped Canada's Noah Vucsics, who took silver with 6.66 meters, while another Malaysian, Eljoe Gotuoh, secured bronze with 6.51 meters.

Latif's personal best and current world record in the T20 long jump stands at 7.67 meters, set at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi on September 28. To qualify for the 2026 Asian Games, he needed to match the sixth-place performance of 7.83 meters from the 2022 Asian Games.

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I didn't expect to contribute the fifth gold medal for Malaysia. This is my blessing.