Rio Paralympics 2016: Mohamad Puzi, Muhammad Ziyad end Malaysia's long wait for gold

Malaysia opened their 2016 Rio Paralympics medal tally with two gold medals on Saturday.

Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi won Malaysia its first paralympic gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics on Saturday.

The 28-year-old won the Men's 100m T36 (cerebral palsy), racing past the finish line in 12.07s while China's Yifei Yang (12.20s) took the silver and Brazil's Rodrigo Silva (12.54s) finished with a bronze.

Malaysians, who had waited for a paralympic gold since making their debut at the 1972 Summer Games in Heidelberg, did not have to wait much for their second gold as Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli won the Men's Shot Put - F20 (intellectual disability) event on Saturday.

Muhammad Ziyad also created a new world record with his gold-winning throw of 16.84m. He went past the previous mark of 16.29m set by Australia's Todd Hodgetts, who also won a bronze (15.82m) in Saturday's event, at the 2012 London Paralympics. Dimitrios Senidikidios of Greece clinched the bronze with a throw of 16.17m.

An elated Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, took to social media to congratulate the gold medal-winning Rio athletes. "Well done Ridzuan Puzi & Ziyad Zolkefli. The whole country proud with the accomplishments of you both!" he wrote.

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