Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (PABM) has achieved its target of three gold medals at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games after national athlete Muhammad Erry Hidayat won the gold medal in the 79 kilogramme (kg) category early this morning. PABM president Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the success was a very proud achievement for the country's weightlifting sport, proving that Malaysians have the ability to compete and emerge as champions on the international stage when given the right opportunity, preparation and support.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, although the target of three gold medals has been achieved, the national contingent's struggle is not over yet. Five more Malaysian athletes will compete in the remaining events, thus opening up opportunities to increase the country's medal tally in Glasgow. PABM is confident that all athletes who have yet to compete will continue to give their best with a high fighting spirit for the Jalur Gemilang and continue the momentum of excellence that has been shown by their teammates.
Previously, Malaysia managed to win gold medals through Mohamad Aniq Kasdan in the 60 kg category and Muhammad Aznil Bidin in the 65 kg category. Meanwhile, Ayub described the success as also proving that weightlifting has great potential to be among the main contributors to the country's medals in major sports events such as the SEA Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and subsequently the Olympic Games.
PABM hopes that this historic success will be a catalyst for the development of the country's weightlifting and open the eyes of all parties that this sport has great potential to be among the main contributors to Malaysia's medals at international championships. "With continued support, planning and investment, PABM is confident that more success can be achieved in the future," he said.
In another development, Ayub said his party was also upset with several actions taken by the National Sports Institute (ISN) in the last minutes leading up to the Games, which were seen to have put pressure on athletes and to some extent affected their focus and enthusiasm when they were in the most critical phase leading up to the competition. PABM is of the view that every decision involving the welfare of athletes, especially regarding food supplements, performance and sports science support, needs to be made in a more planned, thorough and based on scientific evidence as well as through discussions with national sports associations and coaching teams.
He explained that any action taken at the last minute has the potential to disrupt the preparations of athletes who have undergone intensive training for many years to take on the country's challenges. "In this regard, PABM hopes that ISN can review and refine the standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding the management of food supplements, performance, athlete recovery and science support sports. This support is very important, especially for weightlifters who need close monitoring in terms of nutrition, supplementation, recovery and performance to ensure they are able to compete at the highest level in the world," he said.
According to Ayub, PABM believes that world-class athletes are not only formed through training alone, but also through a comprehensive and consistent sports science support system. "Quality athletes need sufficient safe food supplements, comprehensive sports science support and confidence that every decision made is to improve their performance. Investment in this aspect is not an option, but a necessity if Malaysia wants to continue producing champions on the international stage," he said.