CHAMPION weightlifter Malek Chamoun who is legally blind and walks with a cane has slammed the ABC for portraying him as a binge drinker during a Four Corners' 'Punch Drunk' special. VISION: ABC TV/ Four Corners
Blind weightlifter Malek Chamoun, pictured here in an ABC Four Corners special on drunken violence. Picture: ABC Source: Supplied
- Blind weightlifter shown as drunk by ABC TV
- Malek Chamoun featured in Four Corners footage
- "It's disgraceful. He is a great kid."
A CHAMPION weightlifter who is legally blind has slammed the ABC for portraying him as a binge drinker.
Malek Chamoun, 24, was walking with a cane and guided by a friend during a rare night out in the city when he was caught on camera.
The footage later appeared in "Punch Drunk," a Four Corners episode exploring "crisis levels" of binge drinking and serious assaults in Australia through the eyes of police and paramedics that went to air on Monday night.
"Check me out on 4 Corners, the episode about alchahol & violonce in the city. (I pop up at 10:38) Pfftt i wasn't drunk, i'm blind...," Chamoun posted on his Facebook.
"I was even holding my cane, but the idiots cut it off in the vid. The media has to watch out, this could impact my reputation with my weightlifting carreer," he wrote.
Footage of Chamoun stumbling appears following a quote from NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas about the impact of alcohol-related violence on emergency services.
"An enormous amount of effort and anguish is expended on people who have simply got themselves in such a drunken state that emergency services have to become involved to look after them or patch up the mess that they leave," Mr Kaldas said.
"It's disgraceful. I can vouch that the kid is a great kid, a fantastic athlete and a great son. They should have shown the cane so people would have known," he said. Source: Supplied
In a statement today Four Corners said: "Having been made aware of his concerns, Four Corners has now spoken to Malek Chamoun.
"The program has said they are sorry he was portrayed in this light, but explained the footage was filmed in a public place.
"While the program did not suggest all those featured were drunk, it was shown in the context of people out and having a good time. Four Corners has agreed to remove the footage of Chamoun from the online version of the program, and any televised repeats."
"No one at Four Corners knew that the man filmed was blind. If we did, we would not have used this shot."
Chamoun was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease at age seven and declared legally blind at 15.
Despite this, he competes fulltime in the sport and narrowly missed selection for the London 2012 Olympics.
He is coached by father George, also a former national champ, in their Sydney home on the official weightlifting platform used in the Sydney 2000 games.
Weightlifting NSW Honorary CEO Luke Borreggine said he has known Chamoun since he was a "puppy" and it was a shame footage of the "totally innocent" athlete had been used in the wrong context.
"It's disgraceful. I can vouch that the kid is a great kid, a fantastic athlete and a great son. They should have shown the cane so people would have known," he said.
Malek, 24, is legally blind. Pic: Gregg Porteous Source: Supplied
Viewers expressed their disapproval on Four Corners' Facebook page.
Dean Vasil: "Malek Chamoun is shown in this video at 10:38 seconds, this is a program about being drunk and highly intoxicated in public.. all of us who know malek.. He is visually blind and was being helped down the stairs by his caring cousin.. You people at abc film whoever you want and stick a title of whatever you want on people to help portray the stupidity of your program.. Regardless of people's circumstances.. This poor kid has been made to look like he was HIGHLY intoxicated.. When in reality he was being helped down the stairs because he can not see.. He has been portrayed as a drunk on live television and he didn't even know he was being filmed.. Well done abc, GREAT WORK!!"
Will Vasil: "That's not nice they just showed someone in this video that was not drunk, I thought it was about drunk people not a BLIND man walking down the stairs being helped by his cousin (10:38). I think the video man himself was intoxicated, he couldn't tell the difference between a blind man holding his cane or a drunk loser."
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