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Matin living weightlifting dream through daughter Elyone

Sabahan Matin Guntali’s career in weightlifting came to a painful end after he dislocated his right shoulder last year but he continues to live the dream through daughter Elyone.

His eldest daughter has not only made it to the national back-up squad but will be making her debut in the SEA Games weightlifting competition in Palembang.
Elyone competes in the women’s 58kg category together with Franceay Titus.

And proud dad, who is now attached to the national back-up team, will be there as one of the three coaches alongside Hidayat Hamidon and Lin Xin Hui.

“I’m proud that my daughter is following my path. I never forced my children to take up weightlifting, Elyone just gravitated to it, said 44-year-old Guntali, a five-time Commonwealth Games medallist in the men’s below 56kg category.

Elyone, 21, has been involved in weightlifting since she was nine and attributed her interest in the sport to her father.

“I wasn’t really keen at first but when my younger sister Elyonica started going to the gym, I followed suit” said Elyone, who represented Johor at the Sukma (Malaysia Games).

“Reading about dad in the newspapers each time he competed in major competitions got me hooked. It was just for fun at first to keep fit. But I slowly got into it in a big way with a lot of encouragement from my father.”

(By Lim Teik Huat)