Qistina endures pain for gold at Malaysian Games

Perak's weightlifter Qistina Qharisya Suffia Mohd Muzani achieved her dream of winning a gold medal at the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) Selangor 2026, demonstrating remarkable resilience despite a painful wrist injury. The 21-year-old athlete clinched the women's 48kg category title with an impressive total lift of 154kg, comprising 72kg in the snatch and 82kg in the clean & jerk.

Her victory came at a significant personal cost. Qistina has been managing a fractured scaphoid bone and ligament damage in her wrist, sustained from a motorcycle accident in September last year. Doctors had recommended surgery, but she chose to postpone the procedure to fulfill her ambition of competing in her final SUKMA event.

"I was supposed to have surgery, but I kept training despite the pain," Qistina stated. "I thought, I can't just lift an empty bar on stage. I continued training because I wanted to achieve my goal at this final SUKMA."

This gold medal marks a continuation of Qistina's success, following her previous gold in the 45kg category at SUKMA Sarawak 2024. In that competition, she set three national records: 65kg in snatch, 79kg in clean & jerk, and a total of 144kg.

While she initially aimed to break the national record held by Irane Jane Henry, Qistina exercised caution during her lifts due to her incomplete recovery. Nevertheless, winning gold in Selangor provides a sweet conclusion to her SUKMA journey.

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I was supposed to have surgery, but I kept training despite the pain. I thought, I can't just lift an empty bar on stage. I continued training because I wanted to achieve my goal at this final SUKMA.