KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (PABM) has decided not to seek assistance from the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) until their athletes qualify for the July Paris Olympics on merit.
PABM vice president Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim said this following a meeting with Paris Olympics chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin last week.
He said that the association has already formulated detailed plans for their mainstay, Mohd Aniq Kasdan, who competes in the under 61kg category.
However, all strategies will be put into action once Aniq secures his official ticket to Paris before the qualification deadline on April 28.
Consequently, the upcoming International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, on April 2 will be the final chance for Aniq and weightlifters worldwide to compete for a spot in the world’s largest sporting event.
“For PABM, we eagerly anticipate the last competition in Phuket this April.
“We have encountered no issues thus far for the Olympics. Our focus is on ensuring our athletes qualify first and foremost. After that, we will strategise for their optimal performance in Paris.
“At present, we are hesitant to claim that we are on the brink of the Olympics. Our hope is for Aniq to maintain his position in the top 10 rankings leading up to the competition in Thailand. This would serve as a significant boost for weightlifting.
“With only 10 spots available at the Olympics, given the current circumstances, we are mindful that numerous athletes are fiercely vying for their positions. I anticipate the competition in Phuket to be highly intense,” Amirul told Scoop.
Currently, Aniq holds the eighth position in the Paris Olympics rankings for the men’s under 61kg category, having lifted a total of 296kg.
Aniq achieved this feat at the IWF Grand Prix 2 Championship in Qatar last December.
During the event, he established a new national record with a snatch lift of 126kg, followed by a clean and jerk of 170kg for a cumulative total of 296kg.
This successful performance surpassed his previous national record of 291kg, which he set at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last September.
Aniq’s exceptional lifts have placed him ahead of Igor Son from Kazakhstan, the bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, who lifted a total of 294kg. – March 25, 2024