Nicodemus joins Bonnie and Bibiana on top of the world
KUCHING: Kuching-born Nicodemus Manggoi Moses lifted 190kg to win the men’s above 88kg event at the World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.
It was Malaysia’s third and final gold medal as the tournament ended with the other two gold medallists Bonnie Bunyau and Bibiana Ahmad also hailing from Sarawak.
National coach Jamil Ahmad was all praise for Sarawak’s “tremendous” contribution which helped Malaysia to finish third in the overall medal tally.
He also revealed that five of the national contingent of seven athletes were from Sarawak.
“The athletes we sent to compete in Bangkok are elite national athletes which are groomed to compete in major international tournaments,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
On Friday, Bonnie lifted 226 kg to win the men’s above 72 kg category while Bibiana uploaded 80kg to grab Malaysia’s second gold medal in the women’s above 67kg.
Malaysia also picked up three bronze medals through Mohd Shahmil Md Saad (men above 97kg), Wan Nur Azri Wan Azman (men above 107kg) and Sona Agon (women above 73kg).
Their success had caught the attention of Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican who took to his Twitter account to congratulate the athletes.
The performances augur well for Malaysia as the para powerlifters eye the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics in August.
Bonnie, who is ranked world No. 1 in his category, has long been touted as a potential Paralympic medallist.