{
  "id": 1272353,
  "title": "Izzren brushes off naysayers to lift Perak's second Sukma gold",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/izzren-brushes-off-naysayers-to-lift-peraks-second-sukma-gold",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-16T12:50:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/others/2026/08/1512529/izzren-brushes-naysayers-lift-peraks-second-sukma-gold"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Kajang, Qhaerul Izzren Syuhada Abdullah defied the skeptics to claim Perak's second gold medal on the first day of the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) weightlifting competition. The 17-year-old lifted a total of 143kg in the women's under-53kg category, clearing 64kg in the snatch and 79kg in the clean and jerk. Qhaerul's hard work paid off, as she became the first person from her school to win a medal at Sukma. Despite initial doubts from others and even from her own family, Qhaerul persevered and competed in multiple events to reach her goal. Her achievement inspired her to hope that more women will take up the sport, emphasizing that it is safe and can lead to a bright future. In addition to Qhaerul's success, Selangor's Syaza Ilyana Maizan claimed silver with a total of 138kg, while Terengganu's Nur Zafeerah Safia Zaini finished third with 136kg. The competition will continue with the men's under-65kg and under-71kg events, as well as the women's under-59kg category on Tuesday.",
  "summary": "KAJANG: Qhaerul Izzren Syuhada Abdullah ignored the naysayers to win Perak’s second gold medal on the opening day of the weightlifting competition at the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) on Sunday.",
  "key_points": [
    "Qhaerul Izzren Syuhada Abdullah wins Perak's second gold at Sukma",
    "17-year-old lifts 143kg total in under-53kg category",
    "First medal for her school, inspires more women to take up sport"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}