Record breaking junior power lifter, Vijai Rahim on Sunday rewrote the record books smashing the South America’s men’s 66 kilogrammes (kgs) squat record (529 pounds) en route to copping the overall title at the juniors and novices championships.
In front of a large crowd in the New Amsterdam Multilateral School’s auditorium, last year’s 59kgs Caribbean Power lifting Championships gold medalist and record holder in the squat and dead lift, squatted 540 pounds (245kgs) on his final lift to once again ink his name into the record books.
The 21-year old Berbician from the Hardcore Gym also dead lifted 550 pounds (250kgs) and bench pressed 275 pounds (125kgs) to record a total of 1365 pounds (620kgs) and 524 points on the wilks chart to claim the overall best lifter title of the junior championships.
Rahim, who weighed 60.5kgs, had predicted in previous interviews with Stabroek Sport that his aim was to erase the record.
After the championships on Sunday, he told this publication that his new aim is to dominate on the international stage at his next competition in July.
The previous record was set by Ecuador’s Alex Ocho last August at the South America Championships in Colombia.
Other category winners were Gumendra Shewdas in the 53kgs category (477.5kgs total), 59kgs Suraj Shewdas (500kgs total) and 74kgs Rudolph Blackman (647kgs total).
Female winners in the novices category were Chittra Ramlochan 72kgs category (272.5kgs total), 84kgs Candy Lynch (252.5kgs total) and 84+kgs Natoya Robinson (382.5kgs total).
Robinson’s wilks score of 311.43 was tops amongst the females.
The male novices winners were 59kgs Leon Rupertie (422.5kgs total), 66kgs Donnel Perry (515.5kgs total), 74kgs Hardat Tarson (565kgs total), 83kgs Rayan Anderson (580kgs total), 93kgs Mariano Jeffrey (667kgs total), 105kgs Darren Ramotar (610kgs total) and 120kgs Mustapha Rohoman (555kgs total).
Jeffrey’s wilks score of 426.1 enabled him to lift the men’s novices overall trophy.
Colin ‘Mr. Clean’ Chesney (120kg class) was a guest lifter. His total was (761kgs).
The event, which was mainly sponsored by Fitness Express and the Trophy Stall, was dubbed a success by president of the Guyana Amateur Power lifting Federation (GAPF), Peter Green.
Green also expressed special thanks to Khellewan of CGX.
Sunday’s competition attracted a record total of 38 power lifters.
The lifters were vying for places at the Caribbean/Pan Am/North American Power lifting Championships slated for July 1-7 in Orlando, Florida.
The next local competition (Intermediate and Masters Championships) will be staged at St Stanislaus College on June 2.
