Abrienda Turns Ambition Into Achievement With Five National Records

KUCHING, June 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysian powerlifter Abrienda Chan has turned ambition into achievement after breaking five national records in the Under-57 kilogramme (U57) category, taking a significant step towards her world championship aspirations.

The 20-year-old Sarawakian accomplished the feat at the recent Eagll Powerlifting Classic (EPC) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, where she also bagged seven gold medals and one silver while competing in both the junior and open age categories.

The achievement came just weeks after Abrienda told Bernama she was aiming to rewrite the national record books as part of her preparations for two major world championships next year.

Competing in the U57 division, she established five new national records comprising the open squat record of 128 kg, junior and open bench press records of 70 kg, as well as junior and open total records of 343 kg.

“I planned to go for more records, but there were some technical issues during my final squat attempt, so I missed out on the junior squat record. We also decided to play safe in the deadlift to secure the gold medals and overall titles," she said when contacted by Bernama today. 

Standing at just 151 cm tall, Abrienda continues to punch above her weight in a sport often associated with larger athletes, with her latest accomplishments further cementing her status as one of Malaysia's rising powerlifting talents.

The result marked another milestone for the national athlete, who previously dominated the Under-52 kg sub-junior category and continues to hold the national records in all three lifts and total for the division.

Despite narrowly missing out on additional records, the SBD Cup 2025 Women's Classic U57 Junior champion emerged as the Junior/Sub-Junior Overall Champion and finished second in the Open Overall standings.

Abrienda admitted that her runner-up finish in the open category was the biggest surprise of the competition, given that she was among the youngest competitors in the field.

“The most surprising achievement was actually finishing second overall in the open category because I'm one of the youngest competitors there. I didn't expect to place in the open overall standings,” she said.

The 2024 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships gold medallist said the competition has strengthened her confidence as she prepares for next year's international challenges.

“I feel I'm more ready to face bigger challenges as I gained a lot of experience from preparing for this competition and got to know myself and my body better.

"I'm grateful to my family and coach for their continuous support. Not to forget, Turbo Fitness for their assistance, including providing a place for me to train and helping with my competition travel expenses. This has allowed me to focus on improving my performance," she added.

Abrienda is now focused on preparations for the 2027 World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships in Istanbul, Turkiye and the 2027 World Classic Sub-Junior & Junior Powerlifting Championships in Haining, China, where she hopes to break into the world's top three in the U57 junior category.

-- BERNAMA