KUALA LUMPUR: Para athlete Ashraf Haisham, 20, cracked the Asean Para Games record enroute to winning the 1,500m T46 event with a time of 4:24.73s. It was his second gold of the Games, having won the 800m T46 on Tuesday.
With this win Ashraf broke the record of Isidro Bildosola of the Philippines who clocked 4:27.9s in the 2005 Manila Para Games.
Ashraf who lost his left arm while riding his motorcycle to school in 2013 took a long time to adapt to living with one arm and to learn how to balance his body on the track.
"Life was difficult after my accident. I had to learn to do everything with my right hand. I could not run properly at first and fell a few times, cracking my knuckles three times in the process," said Ashraf.
But he never gave up, and two years later won the T46 800m gold at the Singapore Para Games, although he lost the 1,500m gold to current silver medallist Tran Van Duc of Vietnam.
"I could not sleep the whole night thinking of how to beat Van Duc in the race today (yesterday). He had beaten me at the Singapore Games because I used the wrong strategy.
"So, with the 800m gold flashing in my eyes, I planned the whole night on how to win the 1,500m and the sleepless night was worth it," said Ashraf.
Ashraf, red-eyed but looking jovial, now plans to cap his outing with a 400m gold today.
"I want the 400m gold now, and I urge Malaysian's to pray for my success."
Better still, fans could motivate him further by coming to the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow (Thursday).