KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) president Datuk Ayub Rahmat has indicated that the country’s three leading weightlifters might give the Cambodia SEA Games 2023 a miss to concentrate on qualifying for the Olympic Games.
He said the three are Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medallists Mohamad Aniq Kasdan and Muhammad Aznil Bidin, and silver medallist Muhammad Erry Hidayat.
“Next year MWF will focus on championships which offer qualifying points for the Paris Olympics 2024 but there is also the Cambodia SEA Games next year, so we have to make a choice.
“Athletes going for Olympics qualifying tournaments may not be sent to the SEA Games because it clashes with a qualifying tournament in South Korea,” he said.
Ayub said MWF had not decided on the squad to be sent for the regional games but would continue to be on the lookout for athletes who could meet the requirements in terms of physical and mental strength.
He expressed satisfaction with the national weightlifters’ achievements in international competitions this year.
“The national championships will be used to assess weightlifters and only those who meet the qualifying marks would be sent for the SEA Games.
“Before this we had eight athletes (including Aniq, Aznil and Erry) and we will see if the remaining five are eligible. Backup athletes will also be considered,” he said.
In the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam last May, Aniq won bronze in the men’s 55kg category, Aznil took silver in the 61kg category and Erry settled for bronze in the 73kg category.
The 32nd SEA Games will be held in Phnom Penh from May 5 to 17 next year. – Bernama, December 13, 2022
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