KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — National weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan wants to continue to shine next year, with his first mission being to finish at least fourth in the Olympic qualification ranking before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 21-year-old said to achieve that, he needs to make a total lift of 305kg at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, in April.
“The coach has set that — 305kg — as my target and, if I can do that, I think I will be ranked fourth in the world… that is my target before going to the Olympics next year.
“I am now ranked seventh in the world after the tournament in Qatar two weeks ago and I hope no one can surpass this position,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
In early December, the Johorean lifter achieved sensational success by winning two medals at the International Weightlifting Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Aniq, who took part in the 61kg category, took silver in the clean and jerk when he lifted 170kg and 126kg in the snatch for the bronze in the overall category with a 296kg total.
Even sweeter is that his overall total of 296kg erased his national mark of 291kg, which he had set en route to winning bronze at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September.
The achievement puts Aniq in seventh position in the Olympic qualification ranking, where participation in Paris is limited to lifters in the top 10 of the ranking.
However, that will not guarantee him a spot in the prestigious Games since the qualification ranking will often change from time to time until the Paris Olympic Games (July 26 to August 11, 2024).
Meanwhile, Aniq said his coach Edmund Yeo will crank up the pressure on him in the snatch event in the run-up to the World Cup.
“Right now I am taking a break, but in January, the coach will switch to high-intensity training in addition to stressing on the snatch, because he saw many weaknesses during the Qatar meet.
“We will continue training at home before heading to Shanghai, China in March to compete in a training camp. I think in Shanghai, I will be more focused which will help me get into shape for the World Cup,” he said.
The 2024 World Cup will take place in Phuket, Thailand, from April 2 to April 11 next year.
Meanwhile, commenting on his progress in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said the facilities provided would help him gear up for the future.
“The facilities that I have enjoyed so far have, to some extent, fuelled me to continue with my excellent run, which in turn keeps me afloat in this programme,” Aniq said.
— Bernama
