Indian Lifter Poses Big Threat To Aznil’s Gold Hat-trick Mission At Commonwealth Games

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- National weightlifter Muhamad Aznil Bidin has acknowledged India’s Muthupandi Raja as the biggest threat to his mission of clinching a gold medal hat-trick at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to Aug 2.

The Kedah-born lifter said the emergence of the Indian challenger will make the 65kg category tougher than in past editions.

"For this Commonwealth Games, India has a new athlete coming through. The seasoned ones are no longer around, but a new challenger has emerged who warrants serious attention," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Aznil, who won gold in 2018 and defended his title in 2022, remains confident he can keep his crown after detailed preparations for the Games.

The 32-year-old is at a centralised training camp in Rompin, Pahang, until June 27, before heading to Turkiye for a month of training and acclimatisation in Istanbul ahead of the Games in Scotland.

Aznil said the current training is focused on endurance and muscle strength, with heavy lifting to follow in the coming weeks.

"We are still in the endurance phase. Next week, we will move into finding our peak lifts. The training programme is structured in stages to ensure athletes reach peak performance and minimise injury risks," he said.

Aznil is also hopeful that the national squad will be accompanied by a physiotherapist and a masseur at the Games to help with the lifters' recovery.

He said both support staff are crucial, especially after tough training and competition, to reduce the risk of injury and speed up recovery.

"We usually need both. A physiotherapist and a masseur are vital to aid the recovery process, especially post-training or competition," he added.

Aznil, who will be making his third appearance at the Commonwealth Games, said retaining the gold is not only important for his personal hat-trick but will also boost his confidence for tougher challenges ahead.

After Glasgow, he will turn his focus to securing an Olympic spot at the World Championships in Ningbo, China, this November.

"My target in Glasgow is to defend the gold and achieve the hat-trick. After that, I want to focus on the Olympic qualifiers," he said.

Malaysia is set to send nine weightlifters to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Aznil, Mohamad Aniq Kasdan and Muhammad Syahmi Ghazali seen as the main medal hopes.

-- BERNAMA