Weightlifters expected to give good account of themselves

Guyana’s weightlifters are expected to give a good account of themselves against top regional opposition when they take part in this year’s Criollo Cup weightlifting championships in Puerto Rico later this month, a top official of the local weightlifting body disclosed.

General Secretary of the Guyana Amateur Weight-lifting Association (GAWA) and manager of the Guyana team, Deion Nurse told Stabroek Sport that the three local lifters Bhojnarine Persaud, Fazim Abdool and Sean Cozier are hard at training in preparation for the championships billed for October 16-23 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event, sanctioned by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and the Pan American Weightlifting Federation (PAWF) will attract national lifters from most affiliates of the regional body as well as club teams from the United States and Aruba, an associated member of the PAWF.

Nurse said this tournament will be a welcome return to international competition for the local weightlifters who have not participated internationally since 2005.

Guyana’s last outing was at the Pan American championships in Louisiana, United States where Cozier was this country’s lone representative.

Persaud will compete in the 56 kilogramme class, while Abdool and Cozier will do battle in the 85 kilo division.

The coach is Farouk Abdool, vice president of the GAWA. Nurse said that the GAWA fund raising effort has received favourable response.

“We have received favourable response so far to our fund-raising drive and I am confident that by next Wednesday (October 10) the date set aside for the team to secure their visas from the United States embassy we should have most of our funds,” Nurse disclosed.

Asked by Stabroek Sport if he is fearful of his team being denied US visas to travel in light of recent rejection of local athletes by the US embassy in Georgetown, Nurse said that he was confident that they would be able to secure the visas.

Nurse said on the team’s return to Guyana the Association will stage the National Senior championships on November 11 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

He said that the nine clubs affiliated to the association from Linden, East Bank Essequibo, Berbice and Georgetown are expected to be represented at the national competition.

The GAWA has run off three competitions so far this year and according to Nurse it has been a busy year for local weightlifters.