By Emmerson Campbell
The Guyana Power Lifting Federation (GAPF) will be looking to improve the sport and awareness of it while reintroducing new tournaments in the year ahead.
According to executive member of the GAPF and bronze medalist at this year’s World Masters Champion-ships, John ‘Big John’ Edwards, the federation has accomplished most of their goals identified for 2010 and will be looking to take the sport one step further in the new year.
Edwards said that they successfully held all of their tournaments and turned in commendable performances on the regional and world stages.
“For this year we were able to host all five of the championships successfully, namely the novice, the intermediate, the senior national, also we hosted the juniors (under 22 years) and the Masters (40 years and over). We were also able to attend three overseas championships, namely the Caribbean championships in March in the Cayman Islands, where we were runners-up to Trinidad, we had Randolph ‘The Accomplisher’ Morgan setting a new bench press record for the Commonwealth at that time.
“In June we sent two athletes, Dawn Barker and Karel Mars, to Miami for the North American regional championships.
We saw Dawn achieving a squat record for the Commonwealth, she also became the first female Guyanese to squat over 500 pounds.”
“Also I competed at the World Masters gaining a bronze medal, so for 2011 I think we did an excellent job.”
Raw power lifting
Edwards noted that in the new year the GAPF will be holding the same five championships but will also introduce the raw power lifting, more awareness for the sport and a bench press tournament.
The raw power lifting championships will be for lifters who are not comfortable lifting with the supportive gears.
“These raw powerlifters will have an opportunity to compete among themselves. We will also be reintroducing the bench press championships where lifters can just come out and bench press because not everyone loves to squat or do dead lifts but everyone loves to bench (press),” said Edwards.
Edwards spoke also about the tournaments the federation has plans to compete in for 2012.
“Next year we plan on going to the South American Championship which is mandatory by the IPF (International Power Lifting Federation) that Guyana attend because we are grouped in the South America region.”
“Also we will be looking forward to going back to the Caribbean Championships in March and bringing home the title, we will also be going back to the North American Regional and the World Masters Championships where our goals are to bring home gold medals and keep the Golden Arrowhead flying high.”
‘Big John’ highlighted that the sport of power lifting needs more corporate support and the federation will be hosting a string of fundraisers.
“For next year we have several fundraisers planned. Mainly we are already in talks for a raffle we‘re going to have our normal takeaway bar-b-que, we are even planning a fashion show and dinner and a club night as fundraisers. The fashion show will even have powerlifters modeling at that event.”
Edwards reiterated that the sport needs more awareness and for 2012 the GAPF will be doing as much as possible to create more exposure and awareness for power lifting.
“A lot of awareness work will also be done where we will be reintroducing power lifting in the schools. We will try to get some more people in the gym to participate. We will be hosting the Caribbean Championships in 2013 so we will be encouraging a lot of people in the upcoming year to take up power lifting.”
Edwards added: “We will be using the television and the print media to spread the awareness and the benefits of power lifting.”
‘Big John’ also said that he is pleased personally with everything he had set out to achieve in 2011.
Edwards won the Men’s Open title, the Men’s Master’s 120 kg and overall Master’s title at the Caribbean Championships as well as a bronze medal at the World Masters Championship in St Catherine, Canada last month.
Guyana’s top powerlifter said, however, he will be looking to improve his lifting weight-wise and eclipse this year’s feats.
