KUALA LUMPUR − Budding national weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan has qualified for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 55kg category.
He achieved this by breaking the national record at the Commonwealth Games qualifier in Uzbekistan yesterday.
Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (PABM) president Datuk Ayub Rahmat confirmed that the 19-year-old “badang” (a legendary Malay strongman) lifted a combined weight of 249 kg − after lifting 107 kg in the snatch category and 142kg in the clean and jerk − at the championship held together with the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships.
The achievement saw Aniq take home the gold in qualifier and silver in the clean and jerk and was in the fifth overall position in the world championships.
His overall lifted weight also broke the 248 kg national record held by Muhammad Azroy Hazalwafie at the 2019 Asian Championships in China.
“Presently, Malaysia is ranked first in the Commonwealth Games qualifier for the 55kg category, and this is Malaysia’s best performance in the history of the World Weightlifting Championships because we won a medal,” Ayub said in a statement today.
Aniq, who hails from Segamat in Johor, created history before this when he won three gold medals at the 2019 Indonesia International Weightlifting Championships.
He broke two national records on his way to winning the gold.
Meanwhile, Ayub said that 2018 Commonwealth Games gold winner Muhamad Aznil Bidin will compete in the men's 61kg category tomorrow while Muhammad Erry Hidayat will compete in the 73kg category on Friday. – Bernama, December 8, 2021
