Good News For Acehnese People From Papua, Nurul Akmal Wins Gold Medal At PON

JAYAPURA - Female lifter Nurul Akmal presented the gold medal she won from the +87 kg weightlifting competition at the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON) for the people of Aceh Province who always support her.

"This is a medal for the people of Aceh and thanks to you for the people of Aceh", said Nurul Akmal during an interview session at the Auditorium of Cenderawasih University Jayapura, reported by Antara, Saturday, October 9.

The 28-year-old athlete won the gold medal by posting a total lift of 258 kg, each in the 116 kg snatch and 142 kg clean and jerk.

This gold medal in Papua is the second time that Nurul Akmal has won from the PON arena after she won the first gold in West Java in 2016. At that time, Nurul won gold after recording the best total force of 233 kg.

The 116 kg snatch from Nurul Akmal at PON Papua is also a new national record, 3 kilograms heavier than the previous record when competing in the Qatar Cup weightlifting championship in Doha on December 23, 2019.

Regarding competitors in the Papua PON, Nurul Akmal, who broke into the top five positions at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, called all the lifters who competed as tough rivals.

However, with seriousness and discipline in practicing, she managed to beat the challenger athletes from West Kalimantan, Jambi, and Riau.

"Actually, it's tough (against them), but because we are monitored and training is maintained, so we produce this (gold). I am very proud to give the best for the people of Aceh, especially the current pandemic", she said.

Nurul Akmal, who is being prepared for the world weightlifting championship in Uzbekistan in December 2021, continues to improve her training skills.

"For preparation in Uzbekistan, I already knew my opponent at the Olympics. So, the training had to be more intense", she said.