KUALA LUMPUR — National weightlifting star Mohamad Aniq Kasdan has confirmed his move to the 60kg division next year, following the restructuring of weight categories by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
The world championship silver medallist revealed that the 61kg category, in which he previously competed, has been eliminated, making the switch inevitable.
“Next year, I’ll have to compete with one kilogramme less. This will be a new challenge because I don’t know who my opponents will be in this new category as there will be changes.
“Whatever it is, I’ll be ready to face anyone,” Aniq told Bernama in a recent interview.
Despite the shift, the Segamat-born athlete remains confident in his ability to adapt and aims to maintain his impressive momentum, setting a personal target of a 300kg total lift.
“I don’t see any problem, and if possible, I want to maintain my total lift of 298kg from the 61kg category.
“If I can improve on it, even better. My target remains the same as last year—I want to hit 300kg, a milestone I’ve yet to achieve,” he said.
Reflecting on his 2024 season, Aniq expressed satisfaction with his progress but acknowledged the need for improvement to reach his full potential.
“I would rate myself 8 out of 10 because I haven’t achieved my personal target yet. Next year, I aim to do even better and bring home a gold medal at the SEA Games in Thailand,” the 22-year-old added.
This year has been a stellar one for Aniq, who broke his own national records twice—at the Paris 2024 Olympics and the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Suva, Fiji, where he clinched a gold medal.
He also secured two silver medals at the World Championships in the clean and jerk and total lift categories, further cementing his reputation as one of Malaysia’s brightest weightlifting talents. — December 28, 2024