Edmund is now new national weightlifting coach

KUALA LUMPUR: Edmund Yeo (pic) is carrying forward his family’s legacy in weightlifting, more than two decades after his father, William Yeo, paved the way in the sport.

Edmund has officially been endorsed by the Malaysia Weightlifting Federation (MWF) to become a full-time coach for the national weightlifting team.

The former SEA Games gold medallist is following in the footsteps of his father, William, who coached Malaysian weightlifters such as Mohd Hidayat Hamidon and Matin Guntali during the 1990s, a golden era for the sport in the country.

Notably, William also coached Edmund when he won the SEA Games gold medal in the men’s 94kg weight category. William passed away in 2016 after battling an illness.

MWF vice president Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim confirmed that the 48-year-old, who previously joined the national squad on loan from Sarawak, had proven his capabilities, leading to his appointment to a permanent position.

Edmund has been offered a two-year contract and will officially begin his tenure as a full-time national coach on January 1, 2025.

“We held a working committee meeting with the National Sports Council yesterday and agreed to appoint Edmund as a full-time coach for the national weightlifting squad,” said Amirul, a former national weightlifter.

“We are satisfied with the performance he has shown so far. He worked closely with our athletes, Aniq Kasdan and Mohd Aznil Bidin, during the Olympic qualifying campaign.

“Based on their feedback, they are comfortable with him, which encouraged us to retain his services.”

Under Edmund’s guidance, Aniq narrowly missed a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, finishing fourth in the men’s 61kg weight category – just one kilogram shy of the podium.

Moving forward, Edmund has been tasked with ending Malaysia’s gold medal drought in weightlifting at the Thailand SEA Games next year and preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026.

Malaysia’s last SEA Games gold medal in weightlifting came in the 2005 Philippines edition when Che Mohd Azrol triumphed in the men’s 105kg category.

In contrast, Malaysia have fared better at the Commonwealth Games, with Aniq and Aznil both winning gold medals at the 2022 Birmingham edition.

Edmund will be assisted by two coaches, Nurshah Rizal Ruslan and Nur Jannah Batrisyah, in his efforts to elevate Malaysian weightlifting to new heights.