SOLO, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek believes the Malaysian contingent competing in the ASEAN Para Games here would be able to achieve the realistic 57 gold medal target.

Ahmad Shabery said based on the Malaysian contingent's ability to win five gold medals today - three from athletics and two from swimming - was reason enough to be optimistic.

"The medal haul shows that Malaysian paralympic athletes have excellent ability to win medals. However, I do not want them to be overzealous in their quest for medals," he told Bernama here today.

He said if Malaysia was able to finish among the top three in the medal collection, it would be a credible achievement.

Ahmad Shabery said Malaysia had sent the third biggest contingent to the games, comprising 120 athletes who would be competing in 10 sports, namely athletics, archery, badminton, goalball, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair volleyball, wheelchair tennis and tenpin bowling.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's three of the five gold medals won today were contributed by track and field athletes, especially Hemala Devi Enikutty from women's F12 Category javelin, Azlan Yusof from men's F20 Category discus, Nursuhana Ramlan from women's F20 Category javelin.

The two swimming gold medals came from Friden Dawan through the (men's 400m Freestyle S10 Category) and Razak Tambi men's SB9 Category (50m backstroke).

Ahmad Shabery added that the expected completion of the Paralympic training complex in Kampung Pandan in six months, would further boost the development of disabled sports in the country.

"Paralympic athletes are also national athletes who strive to bring pride to the country and their contribution must be valued just like success brought by normal athletes," he said.

BERNAMA