ANIQ NEEDS TO LIFT HIMSELF UP
Weightlifter must record over 300kg to win an Olympic medal in Paris
THE Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) hopes to see Aniq Kasdan raise his game and challenge for medals at the Paris Olympics on July 26-Aug 11. On Tuesday, Aniq secured qualification for Paris at the Phuket leg of the IWF World Cup after placing eighth overall in the men’s Under-61kg category.
The 21-year-old successfully cleared 125kg in the snatch and 165kg in the clean and jerk for a 290kg total.
Though pleased to see him qualify, MWF president Datuk Ayub Rahmat admitted he was slightly concerned with Aniq’s result, which was way off his national record of 296kg, set in December.
“Though 290kg is still okay, his performance in Phuket was not his best,” said Ayub yesterday.
“He has done 296kg before, and we were expecting him to break the 300kg mark this time, but it did not materialise.
“I have already asked the coaches to analyse why this decline has happened. We have to understand all the factors involved because our next focus will be the Olympics.
“We have to overcome these factors because our target is to win a medal, regardless of colour in Paris.”
With his competitors showing improvement, Ayub believes Aniq will have to achieve between 305kg and 310kg if he is to finish on the podium in Paris.
Aniq’s national record (296kg) would have won him bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Aniq will have to improve his technique in both the snatch and clean and jerk as well as his physical endurance,” said Ayub.
“We can see that weightlifters from other countries, some of whom were ranked lower than Aniq, have now surpassed him with some outstanding lifts.
“In Phuket, several weightlifters lifted over 300kg, so we have to do something.
There is still time for us.
“To be safe, Aniq has to achieve between the 305kg to 310kg range. Aniq has improved substantially since moving up in class (to Under-61kg), and he has the potential to further improve by another 10kg or so.”
Ayub mentioned plans to send Aniq to Paris a week prior to the competition to allow him to acclimate to the weather.
Aniq is the only weightlifter in the Youth and Sports Ministry’s Road to Gold (RTG) programme.