KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) is hoping to see Aniq Kasdan raise his game and challenge for medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris starting July 26.
Aniq secured qualification for Paris at the Phuket leg of the IWF World Cup yesterday after placing eighth overall in the men's Under-61kg category.
The 21-year-old successfully cleared 125kg in the snatch and 165kg in the clean and jerk for a 290kg total.
Though pleased to see him qualify, MWF president Datuk Ayub Rahmat admitted he was slightly concerned with Aniq's result which was down on his own national record of 296kg set in December.
"Though 290kg is still okay, his performance in Phuket was not his best," said Ayub yesterday.
"He has done 296kg before and we were expecting him to break the 300kg mark this time but it did not materialise.
"I have already asked the coaches to analyse why this decline has happened. We have to understand all the factors involved because our next focus will be the Olympics.
"We have to overcome these (factors) because our target is to win a medal — regardless of colour — in Paris."
With his competitors showing strong improvement, Ayub believes Aniq will have to achieve between 305kg and 310kg if he is to finish on the podium in Paris.
Aniq's national record (296kg) would have won him bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"Aniq will have to improve his technique in both the snatch and clean and jerk as well as his physical endurance," said Ayub.
"We can see that weightlifters from other countries, some of whom were ranked below Aniq, have now overtaken him with some outstanding lifts.
"In Phuket quite a number of weightlifters were able to exceed 300kg so we have to do something, there is still time for us.
"To be safe, Aniq has to achieve between the 305kg and 310kg range. Aniq has improved substantially since moving up in class (to Under-61kg) and he has the potential to further improve by another 10kg or so."
Ayub added that there are plans to send Aniq to Paris a week earlier than the competition to allow him to adapt to the weather there.
Aniq is the only weightlifter in the Youth and Sports Ministry's Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
