Azroy Hazal delivers Malaysia’s first gold medal
GOLD COAST: Weightlifter, Azroy Hazal Wafie Izhar Ahmad brought cheers to the national contingent when he bagged Malaysia’s first gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CG2018) in Gold Coast, Australia.
The 24-year-old athlete from Pahang claimed the gold medal after some thrilling actions at Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre yesterday.
Azroy Hazal who is making his Commonwealth Games debut lifted 117kg in the 56kg snatch event to smash the eight-year-old record of 116kg set by Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim in the 2010 edition in New Delhi, India.
In the clean and jerk, Azroy Hazal Wafie cleared 144kg to amass an overall weight of 261kg for the gold.
The 261kg score by Azroy also broke the 260kg record lifted by his coach Amirul Hamizan in 2002 in Manchester, England.
The silver medal was won by India’s Gururaja with 249kg while the bronze went to Chaturanga Lakmal of Sri Lanka with 248kg.
Despite sustaining a knee injury picked up the injury on his right knee one week before Games but Azroy persevered to deliver the gold medal in the 56kg event.
“I actually put up a bold front, but it hurts, I guess I just cannot let my family, country and myself down.
“The cheers from everybody have helped to ease my pain,” he told the media at Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.
Apart from breaking the championship record, he also created a new record in the snatch event after lifting 117kg, which also rewrote the old record of 116kg also set by Amirul in 2010 in New Delhi, India.
He said he took the challenge by Amirul Hamizan who is also the weightlifting team manager to break his records.
“Personally, I am very proud of my achievement today. All the efforts and wait pay off. Gold Coast is very good to me.
“Before the event today, I could not sleep well thinking of the responsibility. And talking to my parents helps to take my mind away,” he said.
Azroy also encouraged his teammates to go out and show the nation that weightlifting is still very much alive. - Bernama GOLD COAST: Everything was going well for the national squash player Ng Eain Yow before he suddenly got cramps in the first round of the men’s singles match of the 2018 Commonwealth Games held at the Oxenford Studios yesterday.
The 20-year-old player was leading comfortably in the fifth game after tied 2-2 with the Australian Rex Hedrick but was forced to bow 2-3 when he lost 1012 in the deciding game.
“I don’t think if I could turn back time I would change everything. I’ve tried my best. Just that things didn’t go my way today. Everyone could see I was cramping. I did my best. I tried to win but it’s just really tough to win when half of my body is cramping up.
“It’s just something that me and my coaches have to look into and see what is the reason,” he said after the match.
Despite his failure to advance to the next round, Ng still hopes that he could recover soon for his next event, men’s doubles with his partner Mohd Syafiq Kamal.
“I just have to do my best, focus and recover for the doubles now. I think it’s my responsibility to the country. I’m disappointed but I still have the chance to come back and show them, prove to them what I’m made of, and just move on from this result,” he added. - Bernama