INJURY RULES HAF FIFI OUT OF KL SEA GAMES
Injury brings an end to weightlifter’s dream for gold in KL Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Weightlifter Mohd Hafifi Mansor is out of this month’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Yesterday, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he received a report from a specialist doctor at the National Sports Institute (NSI) stating that Hafifi was seriously injured.
“The NSI report said Hafifi should not compete in the SEA Games. I know Hafifi can still lift, but we have to trust the experts.
“Sometimes a doctor makes the decision to save the athlete from himself. Maybe he thinks he can (still lift weights), but the doctor’s assessment and scan show the severity of the injury,” said Khairy.
The 26-year-old Hafifi, who set a new national record in the 69kg category at the Rio Olympics last year, injured his thigh during his training stint in China last month.
Khairy said that Hafifi could further aggravate his injury and jeopardise his weightlifting career if he were allowed to compete.
He said the decision to drop Hafifi was not easy since he was one of the potential gold medallists for the country at the Games.
“I know Hafifi is very disappointed for not being able to perform in front of the home supporters. But we want him to fully recover so that he can defend the Commonwealth Games gold medal (in Gold Coast, Australia) next year,” said Khairy.
Hafifi was the winner of the 69kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Malaysia have not won a SEA Games gold in weightlifting since Che Mohd Azrol Che Mat’s triumph in the 105kg category in the 2005 edition in Manila. – Bernama