Gustin Jenang getting ready to lift his final attempt to clinch the gold medal in the men’s 59kg category.
(From lef) State powerlifters Sona Agon, Norfariza Mortadza, Bibiana Ahmad and Nurul Rabiatul posing with their medals.
KUCHING: Sarawak continued their dominance winning in power lifting by grabbing two gold and three silver medals on the final day of the 18th National Paralympic Games men’s powerlifting events.
The two gold medals plus the three they won on Sunday and one on Saturday pushed Sarawak to finish top of the powerlifting medals table with a medal haul of 6-3-2.
Kelantan came out second with 2-3-0, followed by Pahang (2-0-0), and Federal Territory (1-1-2).
Sarawak’s powerlifter made a one-two finish in the men’s 72kg category, Bryan Junency Gustin claimed gold in the men’s 72kg lifted 122kg beating the silver medallist Stephen Jalang by 5kg. Kedah’s Muhammad Zaki Ismail failed to lift all three attempts shutting him out of the medal tally.
In the men’s 65kg, Pahang’s Vison Jasnie lifted 148kg to win the gold and break his own national record of 145kg while the host’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin took the silver with his lift of 120kg. Federal Territory’s Muhammad Amirul Alif Abdul took bronze lifting 100kg.
In the men’s 88kg, Terengganu’s Nurul Azhar Norrdin set a new Paralympic record with a lift of 176kg, Nurul Azhar bettered his previous national record of 175kg which he set in Perlis two years ago.
Sarawak’s Nicodemus Manggoi Moses claimed the silver medal with his lift of 135kg, Malacca’s took the bronze through Mohamad Aslan Baharin with 127kg.
Jong Yee Khie, lived up to expectations as he delivered the second gold medal of the day to Sarawak with a lift of 200kg defeating Kelantan’s Wan Nur Azri Wan Azman (140kg) while Kedah’s Izam Azizan took bronze with a lift of 113kg.
On Sunday the lifters clinched three gold and two bronze medals at Dewan Jubli Universtiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
The golds were won by women powerlifters Norfariza Mortadza and Bibiana Ahmad while Gusting Jenang lifted the third gold medal in the men’s event. The two bronze was contributed from Sona Agon and Nurul Rabiatul Adawiyah Bakri in their respective events.
Bibiana won the gold medal in the women’s 79kg category with a 68kg lift to beat Perak’s Surita Saad with 69kg but the lighter Bibiana won by weight advantage of 59.92kg as compared to Surita 77.34kg while, Sona Agon won the bronze medal.
Norfariza then delivered the second gold medal in the women’s 86kg category with a 79kg lift to beat Kelantan’s Sharifah Raudizah Syed Akil who lifted 70kg. Kedah’s Noormyra Azni Rosli finished third with her lift of 46kg.
Nurul Rabiatul made it to the podium as she lifted 25kg in the women’s 55kg category, finishing third behind Kelanatan’s Wan Napisah Wan Mahmud (45kg) while Puziyah Khalid (32kg) took the silver medal.
In the men’s 59kg category, Gustin lived up to expectations to take gold with his lift of 100kg to beat Kedah’s Fauzi Che Abdullah (90kg) while, Sarjan Adnan from Negeri Sembilan lifted 85kg to win the bronze.
Team manager, Rahmatullah Morshidi when met at the competition venue held at Dewan Jubli, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) said that the state powerlifting contingent has surpassed its target of four gold medals.
“We targeted four gold medals, as of yesterday (Monday) we have already achieved our target and I must say that they (athletes) have done their very best. We had also set one national record through Endi Bak during the first day of the competition. As such, today’s (yesterday) two gold medals was a bonus. I’m very proud of our team, commitment of both athletes and coaches ,” he said.
He added that the National Sport Council (MSN) had offered to include some of the lifters to undergo its ‘Kita Juara’ training programme and hopefully to compete in the SEA Games in 2017.