Olympic champ Hidilyn's words of wisdom power Darwisy to Sukma gold

On Sunday, Malaysian weightlifter Ahmad Darwisy Tharmidzi secured his first Malaysia Games (Sukma) gold medal after winning the under-60kg category. The 18-year-old lifted a total of 248kg, with 107kg in the snatch and 141kg in the clean and jerk. His silver medalist Azri Irfan Azhar from Perlis lifted 247kg, while Haris Hasrul of Kedah took the bronze with 240kg.

Despite competing with a lower back injury, Darwisy remained focused on his performance, executing his lifts as he usually does and following his coach's plan. He reflected on his journey, mentioning that he won bronze in the under-55kg event during his debut at Sarawak 2024. Darwisy, from Jasin, Melaka, trained at Kampung Kesang Tua, the same facility where Hidilyn Diaz prepared before winning the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She had provided him with valuable advice about discipline, mental strength, and confidence.

Darwisy admires two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Aniq Kasdan and looks up to him as an inspiration. He hopes to follow in Kasdan's footsteps by securing a spot in the Malaysian squad for the upcoming SEA Games.