An 18-year-old Singaporean has made his mark on the international powerlifting stage after lifting 273kg at the 2026 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Sub-Junior & Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa.
Muhammad Hazrul Abdul Malik set the new world record in the men’s Under-66kg category on Aug. 21, surpassing the previous mark of 271kg. Official powerlifting records list Hazrul’s 273kg lift as the current record for the category.
The achievement came despite a difficult competition. One of Hazrul’s squat attempts was disqualified because it did not meet the required depth, while he also experienced severe cramps in his calves and arms during his warm-up.
His deadlift attempts were similarly challenging. After successfully opening with 260kg, Hazrul reportedly became ill and vomited. He nevertheless returned for his final attempt, where he successfully pulled 273kg and secured the world-record lift.
Hazrul finished second overall in his category with a 613kg total. His competition results included a 220kg squat, a 120kg bench press and the record-breaking 273kg deadlift.
The achievement is particularly notable because Hazrul has been balancing elite-level training with his studies and part-time employment.
The Temasek Polytechnic student is in his second year of Architectural Technology and Building Services. He also works part-time at Anytime Fitness to help pay for his training and competition expenses, despite his mother’s offer to support his sporting ambitions.
His journey into powerlifting began in 2022 after he failed to make his secondary school’s football team. He subsequently started going to the gym, where a senior noticed his strength and introduced him to a powerlifting coach.
Hazrul began competing in 2024. He won his first local competition before finishing second at the Singapore National Championships. He later competed at the Asian championships, where he placed sixth overall and won gold in the deadlift event.
He returned to the Singapore National Championships in 2025 and again finished second, a result that helped motivate him to continue improving.
The road to the world championships required more than training. Hazrul has described having to balance school, work, studying, diet and demanding gym sessions while limiting his social activities. The financial pressure of competing internationally also meant taking on additional work to help fund his dream.
At the 2026 world championships, Hazrul was among six young Singaporean athletes aged between 18 and 23 representing the country. Another Singaporean competitor won a bronze medal in the Under-53kg category.
For Hazrul, the world record is another step toward a larger goal. He now hopes to become Singapore’s national champion in the Junior Under-74kg category while continuing to juggle his education, employment and powerlifting career.
The 273kg lift also illustrates how quickly a young athlete’s trajectory can change: a teenager who entered the gym after missing out on football has now placed his name in the international powerlifting record books.
The bigger question now is how far Hazrul can take that momentum—and whether his record-breaking performance will be the beginning of an even bigger chapter in Singapore powerlifting.
