100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones – LSA100 this year celebrates our very own young weightlifter, Aniq Kasdan who made the country proud with his gallant effort at his Olympic debut in Paris.
It was August 8th, 2024 that Aniq Kasdan stole the hearts of Malaysians. His mighty effort to finish 4th in the men’s 61kg category weightlifting event at the Olympics showed exceptional determination from the young chap who at 22 years of age has a bright future ahead of him.
“I remembered that night in Paris. If I’m able to lift it, I’ll be second and if I failed, I’ll end up fourth,” he recollects how that night, still vivid in his mind, has changed his life forever.
En route to placing 4th, missing the podium finish by one kilogram, he nicked a new national record with a total weight of 297 kilograms – breaking his own national record by one kilogram. He even broke the national record for the snatch event when he lifted a weight of 130 kilograms.
The scars on his back and his collarbone become even more evident now. It explains the kind of “blood-sweat-and-tears” training that he puts in for every lift. In his eyes, he demonstrates a fire that’s hungry for more success. And he smiles coyly with every compliment thrown at him.
You see, Aniq is not like any regular 22-year-old Gen Z. The world he knows is all about weightlifting, and his goal is a direct road straight to an Olympic medal. He is a superstar… a little dynamite — and despite standing at 155cm, he packs a punch! He walks in the studio post-training with a kind of cool and calm positive energy. It’s not his first rodeo at a photoshoot but a first for Lifestyle Asia – and in between taking directions well and a little too many giggles, he nails it.
What’s the biggest lesson from the Olympics?
I think the biggest takeaway from the recent Olympics would be how I control my fear and nerves. The Olympics also taught me to work on my confidence levels. You can’t be too confident and at the same time, you cannot be too afraid as well when entering the competition. It’s all about finding the balance lah.
You spoke about managing your fears. How do you overcome that?
Saya akan selalu self-talk lah… having an internal conversation with myself to psyche myself out of any negative thoughts. That’s one of many ways I try to overcome my nervousness.
Tell us about your training regime.
When it comes to training, it’s very routine but we always try to have fun… hoo-ha hoo-ha with my friends but when it comes to the competition, we have to focus. During training sessions, you are already very focused but when competing, you have to be much more focused. But I have to learn how to shake off the pressure as well… kena relax sikit, kena balance lah.
What was in your mind when you’re in the middle of the competition? And what are your hopes for the next games?
It’s mixed emotions. Of course, I’d think if I could do it or not… it’s a lot of things happening at the same time. But for now, I’ve accepted the results and hope I will be able to qualify for the next Olympics in Los Angeles. I hope to make a comeback and redeem myself.
Actually, how did you get into weightlifting?
I started when I was about 15. I was staying in the hostel and (laughs) I took up weightlifting to ‘sneak’ out of the hostel. It was just an excuse to get out because staying in the hostel for over three years.. jadi macam bosan (I got bored). But I’d be honest, I wasn’t very interested at first — sebab nak buat alasan keluar asrama je kan — but because of my brother who had early trainings, I followed him out and so it began.
I told my parents that I’d like to be involved in sports… particularly in weightlifting. But before that, I was actually in hockey but it was quite tough… ramai sangat saingan (too many competitions). Also I think that weightlifting is an individual sport — it is you against yourself. So I started training and here I am today.
What do you think are your greatest strengths?
I think my greatest strength lies in the prayers and blessings of my parents and family. It gives me power and makes me even stronger. I believe that they are always looking out for me, and want the best for me too. And God is always looking after me.
What is the biggest obstacle for you as a weightlifting athlete?
One of the biggest challenges for me is to prove others wrong… that I can! Masa tu sebab saya masuk ikut special lane, so there were many coaches who underestimated me. It made me feel so small. So, the biggest hurdle to me is to show to these people that I can. And I believe I can do it.
You’re still so young with so much ahead of you, despite already breaking national records and winning Malaysia’s first gold at the Commonwealth Games. What are your hopes in the near future, both for the sport and personally?
I really hope to see weightlifting in Malaysia grow in popularity. The sport is easily tainted with negatives like doping cases for instance, but there are many positive sides to it. I hope I can do my best to elevate the sport here in Malaysia and beyond.
