KAJANG, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- A valuable advice from Filipino Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz served as a catalyst for Federal Territories weightlifter Ahmad Darwisy Zharfan Ahmad Tharmidzi to secure the gold medal in the men’s Under-60 kg category at the 2026 Selangor Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
Ahmad Darwisy, who had earlier received guidance from Hidilyn when the Filipino champion was training in Kampung Kesang Tua, Jasin, Melaka, said advice regarding mental strength, discipline, and self-confidence remains his guiding principles to this day.
This advice proved useful for the national back-up squad athlete as he managed to control his nerves in a fierce competition today to clinch the gold by just a one kilogram margin.
"Hidilyn told me to take care of my mentality, discipline, and not to be overly confident. Confidence must still be there, but you have to treat it like a normal routine. You shouldn't think 'I can beat this person, I can beat that person,' only to fail in the end. You just have to treat it normally," the 18-year-old weightlifter said when met after the competition today.
Earlier, Ahmad Darwisy was crowned the winner after recording a total lift of 248 kg (107 kg snatch, 141 kg clean and jerk), narrowly defeating Perlis representative Muhammad Azri Irfan Azhar by just a one kg difference (108 kg, 139 kg), while Kedah’s Muhammad Haris Hasrul took the bronze with a total lift of 240 kg (108 kg, 132 kg).
Meanwhile, Ahmad Darwisy also described this success was also a healing tonic for his disappointment after only managing to come home with a bronze medal in the 55 kg category from the 2024 SUKMA in Sarawak.
In fact, he said the success of his senior, Mohamad Aniq Kasdan, at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games also served as a motivation for him to hunt for gold in this edition.
"I thought back to my previous SUKMA in 2024 where I finished in third place. So, I trained really hard to win the gold medal in this 2026 edition. It was also a great inspiration (Aniq Kasdan's victory). So I really stepped up my training, practicing morning and evening to win the gold," he said.
Ahmad Darwisy, who is a national back-up athlete, is now aiming to secure a slot for next year's SEA Games, alongside a bigger dream to compete in the 2030 Brisbane Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, in the women's under-48 kg event, Perak weightlifter Qistina Qharisya Muzani was crowned champion after dominating the event with a total lift of 154 kg (72 kg snatch, 82 kg clean and jerk).
Terengganu’s Nur Arrissya Nadia Mohamadnor Wardi was second (63 kg, 81 kg), while Pahang representative Nur Dania Nasyiha Abdullah won the bronze with 130 kg (55 kg, 75 kg).
In the women's Under-53 kg category, Perak continued to reap gold through Qhaerul Izreen Syuhada Abdullah, who lifted a total weight of 143 kg (64 kg, 79 kg), defeating Syaza Ilyana Maizan from Selangor who finished with 138 kg (63 kg, 75 kg), while the bronze was won by Nur Zaffera Safia Zaini with a total weight of 136 kg (60 kg, 76 kg).
-- BERNAMA