PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob congratulated weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan on his success in winning the first gold medal for Malaysia at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games today. 

“Praise be to God, the first gold medal for the national contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games! Congratulations to Mohamad Aniq Kasdan who excelled with a combined total weight of 249kg to give the country its first medal.

“Even sweeter, Mohamad Aniq’s achievement is a new tournament record as well as his first appearance at one of the world’s biggest tournaments,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Ismail said he hopes the Malaysian contingent will continue to earn more medals. 

Aniq, 20, performed brilliantly to win gold in the men’s 55kg category with a total weight of 249kg after successfully lifting 107kg in the snatch and 142kg in the clean and jerk.

Ismail also congratulated Muhamad Aznil Bidin, who won the country’s second gold medal in the 61kg category weightlifting event with a combined total weight of 285kg, thus setting a new record for the games.

The Kedah-born Muhamad Aznil’s snatch lift was 127kg, with a clean and jerk of 158kg.

His success was proof of his weightlifting prowess as the 28-year-old managed to defend the gold he won in the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, Australia. – Bernama, July 30, 2022.