File photo shows Bonnie Bunyau Gustin at a previous championship.
KUCHING (June 23): National powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin has received much praise for his amazing feat at the 11th World Cup Powerlifting Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old from Sarawak won the Men’s 72kg category with a new world record lift of 230kg.
He defeated China’s Peng Hu, who won silver with his best lift of 214kg, while Nnamdi Innocent of Nigeria took the bronze for lifting 213kg.
Bonnie erased the old record of 229kg set by Iran’s Roohallah Rostami during the Asian Para Games in Jakarta in 2018.
Among those congratulating Bonnie on social media was Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“We congratulate Bonnie who previously won a gold medal for the country in the same event at the World Powerlifting World Cup in Bangkok last May.
“He emerged the champion in this tournament after lifting 226kg besides beating the Iranian lifter Nader Moradi, who was also the champion of the London Paralympic Games in 2012,” Abdul Karim said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Also congratulating Bonnie on Facebook was Minister of Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
“A world record for Malaysian Para athlete Bonnie Bunyau from Kuching, Sarawak. Congratulations.
“This will inspire other para athletes from Sarawak to continue to train hard to achieve their dreams, unleash their potential to the maximum, break barriers, achieve glory for themselves, Sarawak, and Malaysia,” she said.