Five S’wak para powerlifters eye international success
Five Sarawak powerlifting athletes - two men and three women - are eyeing to represent Malaysia in three international games namely the 2021 ASEAN Para Games in Vietnam as well as Asian Para Games in China and Commonwealth Para Games in England, next year.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the athletes are Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, 22, Nicoldemus Manggoi Moses, 29, Bibiana Ahmad, 33, Sona Agon, 31 and Norfariza Mortadza, 35.
Fatimah said four athletes are currently undergoing training under head coach Jamil Adam and assisted by other coaches at Pusat Kecemerlangan Paralimpik, Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, while Bibiana
trains at the Sarawak Stadium’s powerlifting training centre at Petra Jaya, Kuching.
Bonnie, Nicoldemus and Bibiana won gold medals in their respective categories at the recent 2021 World Para
Powerlifting Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, while Sona won a bronze medal in the same competition.
“For Bonnie, he is highly expected to win a medal at the 2021 Paralympics Tokyo which will be held in August this year,” said Fatimah in a statement.
Fatimah said this success story was a culmination of the development efforts undertaken by the athletes and officials over the years in Sarawak as well as with strong support from the ministry.
The Malaysia Powerlifting Team consists of seven athletes who took part at 2021 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Bangkok recently with five of them from Sarawak.
Bonnie is currently ranked world number one in his weight category (72kg and below) and won the gold medal by lifting 226kg in the Bangkok competition in Bangkok, while Nicoldemus who had been training in powerlifting since 2011, won the gold medal with a lift of 190kg in the 88kg and below category.
Bibiana who had been in the sport since 2010, took home the gold with a lift of 80kg in the 67kg and below category and Sona from Tebedu, Serian won a bronze medal in the 73kg and below category, while Norfariza Mortadza who also competed in the championship failed to clinch any medal.
Malaysia finished third overall in the competition after garnering three golds and three bronze medals with Iran emerging as the champion with five golds and a silver, while host Thailand finished at second place with three golds, one silver and four bronze medals.