PETALING JAYA: Paralympics, World Championships, Commonwealth, Asean Para Games and now Asian Para Games.
At just 24 years of age, Bonnie Bunyau Gustin has now achieved the ‘’Grand Slam’’ in powerlifting.
And the Sarawak-born athlete did it in style by breaking the Asian Para Games record in the men’s below 72kg event en route to delivering the first of three gold medals won by Malaysia in Hangzhou yesterday.
Stellar feat: Bonnie Bunyau Gustin posing with his gold medal after winning the powerlifting men’s below 72kg event. — Bernama
Bonnie, starting at a massive 210kg, almost three times his body weight of 71.40kg, went for 10kg more in the next round before setting the new Games record of 230kg.
China’s Hu Peng took the silver with 208kg while Bekzod Jamilov of Uzbekistan got the bronze with 204kg.
Iranian Rostami Roohallah set the previous record of 229kg back in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Bonnie holds the current world record of 231kg in the event, which he achieved at the world meet in Dubai in August this year.
A thrilled Bonnie dedicated the victory to his elder brother Bryan Junency Gustin, who is also in Hangzhou for the Games.
The 26-year-old Bryan finished sixth in the men’s below 80kg event yesterday.
“His presence is a motivation for me to go all out to make sure I can win my first Asian Para Games gold medal.
“I tried my best to make sure Negaraku is heard in the powerlifting arena.
“Competing in China also makes me happy with the support from the crowd,” said Bonnie, who previously bagged silver in his Asian Para Games debut in Indonesia in the men’s below 65kg category.
There was also golden joy for Malaysia in para athletics and boccia.
Mohd Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi won the men’s T20 400m event in a new Games record time of 47.60s.
His achievement was remarkable as he bettered the previous Games record of 49.32s set by compatriot Mohd Nasharuddin Mohd and the Asian record of 47.80s set by Iran’s Torkamani Milad Ramazani.
Nasharuddin was disqualified while Ramazani settled for the bronze.
Noor Askuzaimey Mat Salim rolled her way to gold in the women’s individual BC4 event after stunning China’s Lin Ximei 3-2 in the final.
Lee Chee Hoong picked up silver after losing 3-5 to Indonesia’s Felix Ardi Yudha in the men’s individual BC2 final.
In cycling, Mohd Adi Raimie Amizazahan took silver in the men’s C3 3km individual pursuit final.
Adi Raimie clocked 3:52.541s to settle for second spot behind Japan’s Fujita Masaki, who stopped the clock at 3:44.627s.
Mohd Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin picked up a bronze in the men’s C1 3km individual pursuit event.
Malaysia sit in eighth spot in the medal standings with seven golds, 11 silvers and 10 bronzes after three days of competition.
