KUCHING, Aug 29: Sarawak-born national paralympic powerlifting athlete Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, 22, is the pride of the Bidayuh community, the State of Sarawak and the nation of Malaysia.
Congratulating Bonnie on his gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) said the boy from Kampung Baru Mawang has grown into a champion who brought international honour to Malaysia.
“His success has proven that with commitment, diligence and hard work, any ‘anak Sarawak’ (Sarawakian) can and are capable to compete and succeed at the world level.
“The entire Bidayuh community hopes that Bonnie will be a source of inspiration to all the people of Sarawak in particular, and Malaysia in general, to work hard and strive to achieve success in their respective fields,” said DBNA in a statement today.
The association also thanked Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg who has announced that the Sarawak government would provide incentives to Bonnie for his achievement.
Meanwhile, DBNA welcomed the announcement by Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPM) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin that Bonnie will receive an RM1 million remuneration under the ‘Skim Hadiah Kemenangan Sukan’ (Shakam) for winning a Paralympic gold medal, as well as the ‘Skim Imbuhan Tetap Olimpik’ (SITO) and be given a RM5,000 monthly pension.
Yesterday (Aug 28), Bonnie created history by becoming the first Malaysian athlete to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 in the below 72kg category in powerlifting.
He broke the Games’ record with a 228kg lift, beating rivals, Mahmoud Attia from Egypt (191kg) and Micky Yule from the United Kingdom (182kg). — DayakDaily
