Explosive start: Zuhairie bags Malaysia’s first gold at Asian Para Games

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Malaysian cyclist Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi won gold in the men’s C4-C5 1,000-meter time trial at the 2026 Asian Para Games, becoming the first Malaysian male cyclist to secure two golds in the event’s history. His record-breaking performance gives Malaysia a strong start at the Games and sets him up to potentially match the nation’s gold medal record in upcoming races.

Malaysian cyclist Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi secured his country’s first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games with a decisive victory in the men’s C4-C5 1,000-meter time trial at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka. The 36-year-old clocked a time of 1:05.361, finishing well ahead of his competitors to claim the top podium spot on Tuesday.

Zuhairie’s triumph marks a historic moment as he became the first Malaysian male cyclist to win two gold medals at the Asian Para Games, having previously made history by becoming the first Malaysian cyclist to win gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. His performance in qualifying rounds was particularly notable, as he shattered the Games record with a time of 1:04.882, eclipsing the previous record of 1:07.311 set by China’s Lai Shanzhang at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

Thailand’s Jaturong Niwanti, who had narrowly defeated Zuhairie in the same event at the ASEAN Para Games earlier this year, took silver with a time of 1:07.206. Indonesia’s Sufyan Saori earned the bronze medal by finishing in 1:08.166.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim extended his congratulations via social media, praising Zuhairie’s achievement and calling it a proud start for Malaysia at the Games. Anwar encouraged the cyclist to continue pursuing success, saying all Malaysians were proud of his accomplishment.

Zuhairie is set to compete in the men’s C4-C5 road race final on Friday, where he has the opportunity to match women’s cycling star Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais’s record of three gold medals at these Games.

In a separate event, Malaysian para cyclist Mohd Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin added to the country’s medal tally by capturing bronze in the men’s C1-C2 3,000-meter individual pursuit. The 29-year-old, who is the reigning world champion, posted a time of 3:52.930 to edge out Indonesia’s Tifan Abid Alana, who finished in 3:53.552. This marks Mohd Yusof’s second consecutive bronze in the event following his podium finish at the Hangzhou Games. He is also scheduled to compete in the men’s C1-C3 1,000-meter time trial later in the competition.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.