KUALA LUMPUR – Mohd Aniq Kasdan is aiming to lift at least 285kg – 125kg in the snatch and between 160-165kg in the clean and jerk – at the upcoming Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in India as he looks to secure automatic qualification for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 21-year-old national weightlifter, still nursing a ligament injury, said that he is not in peak condition but remains hopeful of striking gold at the August 24-30 event, which would guarantee him a place in Glasgow.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned about my chances in India, because I haven’t been able to train at full capacity since picking up this injury at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in China last month.
“For now, I’m still undergoing treatment and have just over a month to prepare. I remain confident, but to win gold, I’ll need to hit at least 285kg,” the Johor-born athlete told Scoop today.
Aniq set a new national snatch record of 132kg in China but failed all three attempts at 163kg in the clean and jerk, missing out on a podium finish.
His previous best in the snatch was 130kg, achieved at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he came agonisingly close to clinching a bronze medal.
Despite having won gold at last year’s Commonwealth Championships in Fiji, Aniq said that result holds little weight now, as he will be competing in the revised under-60kg category.
“Last year, I competed in the under-61kg class, which is the same as the Olympic category. But that event wasn’t a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“This time around, it’s the under-60kg category, and if I don’t win gold in India, I’ll have to go through another qualifying event to qualify,” added the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games champion.
Aniq holds the under-61kg class national record with a total lift of 297kg, which was set in Paris last year. – June 26, 2025