Weightlifting event returns to KL Games
Weightlifting event returns to KL Games
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): At least five nations have hopes of weightlifting medals as the sport returns to the Southeast Asian Games this week after an absence of four years.
It was missing from the last, pared-down games in tiny Brunei in 1999, where several previously held events were skipped.
As a result, coaches of the leading weightlifting teams are uncertain about how powerful their rivals now are, the Bernama news agency reported Monday. The sport was last contested in the SEA Games in Indonesia in 1997.
There are eight gold medals at stake for men and five for women in competition starting Tuesday in the southern city of Johor Bahru.
Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar appear to have the highest hopes of gold medals.
Zainuddin Rasidi, Malaysia's weightlifting team manager, said his team's conservative target was to win one gold medal, although he was hopeful that others would rise to the occasion and spring some surprises.
All three of their medal winners in the 1997 SEA Games have entered again. Mohd Hidayat Hamidon, who won gold, competes in the 69-kilogram category. Silver medalists Edmund Yeo and Matin Guntali compete at 94 and 56 kilograms.
Malaysia also has Amirul Hamizan, who broke two records at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the snatch and clean and jerk at 56 kilograms.
Indonesia, the overall weightlifting champion in the 1997 Games, is uncertain about its chances this time.
Team manager Gandrung said that although most of the 1997 weightlifters back, Indonesia was unable to assess the other teams due to the changes in the weight categories.
He said Indonesia was banking on the men's squad. He expected the main challenge to come from Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Vietnam has set a target of at least one gold, while Myanmar hopes to win at least three.
Lt. Col. Thein Aung, deputy chief of mission of the Myanmar team, said he was confident about the country's women weightlifters and was targeting medals in all four divisions they are competing in. They won three golds and a silver in 1997.