PUTRAJAYA, Nov 28 — National weightlifter Muhammad Erry Hidayat and gymnast Ng Joe Ee were crowned Federal Territories Sportsman and Sportswoman respectively during the 2021/2022 Federal Territories Sports Awards night, here tonight.

Both the winners received a challenge trophy, RM8,000 cash and sports equipment sponsorship worth RM1,000 from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

Muhammad Erry who had just celebrated his 24th birthday on November 24, overcame stiff competition from swimmer Steve Khiew and karate exponent S. Prem Kumar.

The weightlifter who is the son of the country’s former weightlifting great Hidayat Hamidun had created history by winning a silver medal at the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships and another silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

He had also won a bronze medal at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam as well as renew the National 73kg Weightlifting record by lifting 310 kg.

By winning the title, Muhammad Erry becomes the first athlete from weightlifting to win the Sportsman Award since the inception of the awards in 2007.

Meanwhile, Joe Ee swept aside the challenges from divers Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Wendy Ng Yan Yee to be crowned as the Sportswoman.

The 18-year-old lass from Kuala Lumpur, had produced excellent results and performances throughout 2022 by winning the two gold medals (ribbon, ball) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and had also been crowned as the National Sportswoman for 2022.

The Most Promising Sportsman and Sportswoman awards were both won by silat exponents Muhammad Khairi Adib Azhar and Ain Najwa Muhamad Basri Darul who took home RM5,000 cash, trophies and sports equipment sponsorship worth RM1,000.

Meanwhile, the Special Award was presented to Soh Wooi Yik, the country’s badminton player who had won a bronze medal in 2020 Tokyo Olympics with his partner.

Following is the list of winners at the 2021/2022 Federal Territories Sports Awards:

SPORTSMAN: Muhammad Erry Hidayat

SPORTSWOMAN: Ng Joe Ee

MOST PROMISING MALE ATHLETE: Muhammad Khairi Adib Azhar

MOST PROMISING FEMALE ATHLETE: Ain Najwa Muhamad Basri Darul

MEN’S PARA AWARD: Lee Chee Hong

BEST MEN’S TEAM: Canoe

BEST WOMEN’S TEAM: Netball

BEST SPORTS OFFICIAL: Ahmad Janius Abdullah

SPECIAL SPORTS ASSOCIATION AWARD: Kuala Lumpur Gymnastics Association

SPORTS LEADERSHIP AWARD: Petrina Low Lai Hun

BEST COACH (MALE): Matin Guntali

BEST COACH (FEMALE): Afrita Ariany Nasril

BEST DEAF SPORTS AWARD: Foo Zu Tung

SPECIAL AWARD: Soh Wooi Yik — Bernama