Ridzuan defies back injury to compete and lift title in debut

Terengganu's Ahmad Ridzuan Shah Roslan - PHOTO by T. AVINESHWARAN

KAJANG: For any weightlifter, a lower back injury is too heavy a burden to bear in a competition and it’s much safer to pull out.

But Terengganu’s Ahmad Ridzuan Shah Roslan (pic) is made of sterner stuff.

Not only did he persist but the 19-year-old Ridzuan topped the below men’s 88kg category at Dewan Seri Cempaka yesterday on his Malaysia Games (Sukma) debut with a total lift of 280kg-130kg in the snatch and 150kg in the clean and jerk – despite injuring his back just two days before the competition began.

“I’ve been dealing with a lower back injury and was a bit anxious because my state just targeted a silver for me. But I fought through the pain because my personal best was still within range,” said Ridzuan.

Ridzuan opted to stop at 150kg in the clean and jerk, forgoing a 160kg attempt to protect his back.

“During my first lift, the pain was there. But by the second attempt, I told myself to just fight through it for the sake of Terengganu.

The success capped a rapid rise for Ridzuan, who only picked up the sport in Form Four at age 16 – several years later than most competitive lifters.

“Most lifters start much younger, around Form Two or earlier, so I initially felt like I was starting at a disadvantage. But with the support of my family and friends, I kept pushing. To win gold today after just three years in the sport is incredible,” he said.

Looking ahead, Ridzuan has set his sights on Hafizuddin Roslin’s national records.

His personal best in the clean and jerk stands at 173kg, short of Hafizuddin’s mark of over 180kg.

Meanwhile, Sabah’s Henry Stephene Gampion took silver with a total lift of 275kg, while Syafiq Afeef Sawal Ruffin claimed bronze with 263kg.