Seventeen-year-old Vijay Rahim of Hardcore Gym lifted his way to three national records and the best lifter title when the Guyana Amateur Weightlifting Association (GAWA) held its 2009 National Novices Competition at Club Blue Note last Sunday.
Competing in the Junior male 56kg class, Rahim first had a best snatch of 65kg followed by a clean and jerk of 80 kg, for a total of 145kg to top the group.
His two lifts and overall total bettered those of previous record holder Trevor Griffith from Sandow’s Gym, who in 2002 at the National Gymnasium snatched 55kg and clean and jerked 70kg for a total of 125kg in the same weight division.
Rahim later was awarded the best lifter title after weighing in at 53.7kg to end with a bodyweight co-efficient of 247.18. Shane Bancroft who snatched 60kg and clean and jerked 77.5 for a total of 137.5kg and Derrick Hyman (57.5kg and 77.5kg; 135kg) rounded off the top three positions behind Rahim.
Other winners included True Foundation’s Shemar Roach who snatched and clean and jerked 21kg for a total of 42kg to take the School Boys Under-40kg title; Alistair Dookran who had a body weight of 49.2 kg, and snatched 42,5kg and clean and jerked 55kg for a total of 97.5kg to take the Over-40 kg class.
Teion Timmerman took the School Boys Over-50 kg from his lone competitor Teion Wilson, after totaling 97.5kg (42.5kg and 55kg), to Wilson’s 77.5kg (32.5kg and 45kg).
Orwayne Cozier of True Foundation won the Junior male 62kg class from Barims Oliver Kippings by being the lighter of the two competitors, who both totaled 107.5 kg.
Cozier who weighed 59.2kg, snatched 47.5kg and clean and jerked 60kg while Kippings who weighed 60.3kg, snatched 50kg and clean and jerked 57.5kg for his total. Salim Mohammed, Alister Dookran, Mohammed Rossan, Nigel Phillips, were all lone competitors in their respective divisions, ranging from the Junior male 69kg to the Open Men 77kg categories, while Roberto Tiwari and Ajodha Harricharran of Barims Gym were guest lifters in the 77kg and 94kg class respectively.
Over 26 lifters took the stage in the P&P Insurance-sponsored event and according to secretary of the GAWA, the next scheduled event would be the National Junior Championships slated for 30th May at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.
“The National Junior Championships will be the next item on our agenda and this will be held at the end of our Anniversary month in May. Prior to the staging of this championship, there will be exhibitions, weightlifting seminars and sensitization programmes on the sport being held around the country.”
