Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
BRUNEI weightlifters all hit the target with new records at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
Nina Juna produced a new personal best with combined total of 158 kg (snatch 68kg + clean & jerk 90kg) in the women's 53kg, beating her previous best by 7kg, at the Chonburi Sports School.
Mohammad Nashrul Hj Abu Bakar bettered his personal best by 7kg with a combined total of 255 kg (snatch 115kg + clean & jerk 140kg) in the men's 65 kg category.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Hj Kamit completed his debut at the SEA Games with a total of 269 kg (snatch 118 kg + clean & jerk 151 kg) in the men's 79 kg event.
"I'm very happy. Honestly, I didn't expect it because I picked up an injury at Riyadh and had to scale back on the weights," said Nashrul.
"It was only two weeks before (the SEA Games) that we got it back up and to get these results is very pleasant," he added.
Mohammad felt that his debut was a special experience and is hoping that this is the first of many.
"I feel honoured to represent Brunei and to share the same platform with some of the world's strongest lifters," said Mohammad.
"I'm happy, but also hungry for more. It might not sound like much, but in weightlifting, we fight for every kilo.
"Sharing the platform with those other athletes, motivated me to work harder and also reminded me I still have a long way to go," he added.
"Although it was only 1kg in total, I broke the previous Clean and Jerk record from 146kg to 151kg. A number I've been chasing all year, so I'm beyond happy to officially hit that number before the year ends and do it on the SEA Games platform," continued Mohammed.
When asked on what's next, he replied: "Next is to inch closer to my competitors, kilo by kilo.
"I want to train smarter in 2026, and target for the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad in April," he concluded.
