-Little Master seeking to break his world dead lift record
By Emmerson Campbell
The crème-de-la-crème of Guyana’s power-lifters will transform St Stanislaus’ Forum into a battleground tomorrow when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) stages its annual Senior National Championships dubbed ‘Judgement Day’.
The championships will see a line-up of internationally recognized power-lifters as well as two world champions and record holders defending their status against an equally eager, confident and emerging crop of determined young gladiators.
Tomorrow’s line up will include this year’s 74kgs World Masters MII Overall Champion and record holder in dead lift, Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby; this year’s 83kgs Caribbean Gold medallist and record holder in the bench press (220.0kg), dead lift (320.0kg) and total (837.5kg) as well as best lifter in the open category, Randolph Morgan; 2012 Caribbean Silver Medallist Paul Adams and many more.
Stoby has more ambitious plans in mind than simply competing.
He plans to break records. The ‘Little Master’ who owns the 74kgs World Masters MII world dead lift record of 272.5kg which he set in October plans to break that record tomorrow.
“I am aiming at taking my squat to 600 pounds (best 572 pounds) and the bench press should stick around 315 pounds and the dead lift, I’m going to take it to 625 (284kgs) to 630 pounds (286kgs) he said in an interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday.
“The record is 600 pounds and I’m feeling great. I’m just waiting on Sunday. I have the dead lift record and the squat record in my sights.”
A goldsmith by trade, Stoby hopes to end this year with another gold medal and records after winning gold medals at the Caribbean Championships and the World Masters Championships.
He is also the current Commonwealth Masters MI record holder for the dead lift 272.5kg and the Current Commonwealth Masters MII Squat record holder for the squat (255.0kg).
Clashes between juniors will also be featured in tomorrow’s championships. Current international champion Anis Ade Thomas (Wilkes points 462.24) will vie against Vijai Rahim (Wilkes points 494.11) and Stoby (Wilkes points 485.52) will compete against World Open individual dead lift champion Morgan (Wilkes points 571.24) lifting in the heavier 93.0kg class which may see his Wilkes points total dropping, as he goes all out to claim bragging rights as the 2012 pound-for-pound top gun in the Under23 and open categories.
Young guns to watch are the 17-year-olds Kevin Brijlall, Sohail Hussain and Suraj Shewdas all of Berbice, with the 2012 intermediate best lifter overall champion Thyron Eusibio of George- town heading the open category. Upsets are very much in the making judging from reports filtering from the various gyms.
Current Caribbean Gold Medallist and record holder in the squat 240.0kg/reigning Sportswoman of the Year, Dawn Barker will not be participating due to injury. John ‘Big John’ Edwards and Gordon Spencer who are now certified IPF referees will be officiating.
Action starts at 9am and an admission fee of $500 will be charged to aid fundraising efforts for the team’s participation in international tournaments next year.
