Aniq, Aznil aim to lift team’s morale with show of power

Leading the pack: Mohd Aniq Kasdan and Aznil Bidin (inset) will spearhead the national squad in their quest for three gold medals.

PETALING JAYA: After Malaysia missed out on a gold medal in powerlifting, hopes now rest on the national weightlifting team to kickstart the country’s gold medal campaign at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The weightlifting competition gets under way today at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Armadillo in Glasgow.

The national team are targeting three gold medals, with Birmingham 2022 champions Mohd Aniq Kasdan and Aznil Bidin leading the charge.

Head coach Edmund Teo is confident the team’s preparations, which included an intensive training camp in Rompin followed by a peaking phase in Turkiye, have put the lifters in good stead despite Aniq and Aznil having to compete in new weight categories.

The change follows the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) restructuring of their weight classes, with Aniq moving to the men’s under-60kg category and Aznil competing in the under-65kg division after the under-55kg and under-61kg events were removed.

“Our athletes are much better prepared this time after completing an intensive training camp in Rompin followed by our peaking phase in Turkiye.

“Now it’s up to them to stay focused and perform to their potential. Our target is at least three gold medals, but we’re hoping for even more. We’ve studied our rivals and the competition is very close in several categories. It will all come down to strategy and execution on the day,” said Edmund.

Weightlifting has been one of Malaysia’s most reliable gold medal sports at the Commonwealth Games, with the country winning at least one gold medal at every edition since Kuala Lumpur 1998.

Aznil has contributed to that success by winning gold at the last two editions, starting with Gold Coast 2018 in the men’s under-62kg event.

Besides Aniq and Aznil, Malaysia’s weightlifting squad also comprises Erry Hidayat (men’s under-79kg), Hafizuddin Roslin (under-88kg), Syahmi Nor Ghazali (under-94kg), Irene Henry (women’s under-48kg), Syazwani Radzi (under-63kg), Aqilah Draman (over-86kg) and Farris Kamarul (over-110kg).