Special gift: Mohamad Aniq receiving a mock cheque from Sultan Ibrahim in Labis. — Photo sourced from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
LABIS: National weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan’s quest for more glory received a royal boost after his meeting with Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.
The 20-year-old Segamat-born athlete, who delivered the first of Malaysia’s seven golds at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, also received a gift from His Majesty as an appreciation for his golden feat.
On July 30, Mohamad Aniq emerged tops in the 55kg category with a total lift of 249kg (snatch 107kg, clean and jerk 142kg).
Sultan Ibrahim met the sportsman during a get-together with the public at Warung Mee Kicap in Kampung Paya Merah here yesterday.
Mohamad Aniq expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to meet Sultan Ibrahim for the first time and thanked His Majesty for the gift.
Personal visit: Sultan Ibrahim having breakfast with traders in Muar. — Photo sourced from Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page
“His Majesty wished me luck in my upcoming sporting events, including the World Championship 2022 in Colombia in December,” he said in a statement posted on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page.
The World Championship 2022 is among the competitions that Mohamad Aniq will be participating in to collect enough points in his bid to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Also present at the event were Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and State Secretary Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani.
Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim was warmly received by people of various races during a visit to Muar.
His Majesty arrived at 9am before having breakfast with nearly 300 traders at Jalan Maharani and Jalan Abdullah.
Sultan Ibrahim, noted for being close to the hearts of Bangsa Johor, has not been able to visit the people throughout the state for almost two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
His Majesty also spent some time visiting the Maharani Unity Wall and Lorong Autism along Jalan Sisi before leaving to observe rice cultivation in Sungai Balang.
