YOUTH and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh reaffirmed the government’s Road To Gold’s (RTG) commitment to supporting national weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan’s continued development in weightlifting following his stellar performance at the Paris Olympics.
“Aniq Kasdan came close to winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics after breaking the national record with a total lift of 297 kilos,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“Despite being newly included in the Road To Gold program last November, he has shown significant improvement, rising from a 10th place ranking to the top 4 at the Olympics.
“His performance has demonstrated that weightlifting has the potential to win gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” she stated.
“I believe Aniq could have won the bronze medal today.”
“While I feel very sad for him for missing the bronze, I am also full of hope about his potential. He did fantastic lifts,” she added.
“From the first day he joined the RTG support program, he has been unassuming and wanted to challenge his own ranking. He did so much more than that today. He showed Malaysia and the world that we can be a force to be reckoned with in weightlifting.”
“Moving forward - I have spoken to him today that RTG pledges full support for him to climb higher, lift heavier and grow stronger. He is young and can be a great contender and good prospect to bring home the gold in 2028,” she emphasised.
“I believe in Aniq and he inspired our nation today. I am certain many young ones would now want to explore weightlifting,” she concluded.
