By: JT
KOTA KINABALU: National para-athlete Jonathan Wong Kar Gee stated that the encouragement and support from his parents and family strengthened his resolve to secure a gold medal in the T12 long jump event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games.
“They (my mother, father, and family) are my inspiration, strengthening my determination to win a gold medal for the country,” he said when met upon his arrival at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) on Monday.
Jonathan, 35, delivered Malaysia’s sixth gold medal of the Games with a jump of 6.74 meters, defeating Sevinchbek Khusanov from Uzbekistan (6.5m) and Daiki Ishiiyama from Japan (6.48m).
Jonathan’s mother, Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, who was at the airport to welcome him home, expressed her joy regarding the achievement.
“As a mother, I am naturally very happy. Jonathan worked incredibly hard and was fully determined to win a gold medal at this prestigious sporting event,” she said.
Datuk Mansur Asun, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Development, Sports Advancement, and the Creative Economy, along with Sabah Sports Council Director Asneh Mohd Noor, were also present at the airport to welcome Jonathan and his fellow athletes, Abd Halim and Ivan Jovic Suan, back home.
Jonathan stated that he would use this achievement as motivation to intensify his training, aiming for success at even higher-level sporting events.
“This is my first gold medal at the Asian Games, so I am truly proud of myself. The competition was very intense, and although there was some pressure, I entered the event with the mindset of enjoying the experience—and I would have been satisfied with any medal I managed to win,” he said.
Jonathan added that his current focus is on competing in the World Para Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, next June.
Abd Halim secured a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke (SB8) event in Aichi-Nagoya, clocking a time of 1:14.45 seconds. He finished behind China’s Xu Haijiao (1:12.80 seconds) and ahead of another Chinese swimmer, Li Ting (1:16.56 seconds).
Meanwhile, Ivan Jovic Suan narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, despite setting a personal best of 11.70 seconds in the 100m (T44) event.
