Gold medalist at last month’s Pan America Powerlifting Champion-ships, Gumendra Shewdas would become Guyana’s youngest ever World Champion if he garners sponsorship to compete at the International Powerlift-ing Federation (IPF) World Sub junior and Junior Championships later this month in Texas, USA.
After lifting a total of 497.5kg at the Pan Am Championships, the Commonwealth record holder has been listed as the favourite to win the gold and world title in the 53kg sub junior category at the Championships billed for August 26-31. According to the final nominations released by the IPF, his nearest challengers are Dalton La Coe of the USA (Total 455kgs), Kazuma Arai of Japan (Total 435kg), Alexei Kulakov of Russia (Total 432.5kg), Tetsuharu Katsuta also of Japan (Total 405kg) and Erick Aguilar of Ecuador (Total 377.5kg. With the steep airfare of US$1620 being quoted as the cheapest, the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) welcomes assistance for the record breaking power lifter from Berbice. Shewdas is in his final year as a sub junior (18 years and under) as he seeks to puts himself and Guyana on the World Map following similar feats by World Masters Champion, Winston “Little Master” Stoby (Powerlifting) and Mr. Universe Masters, Hugh Ross (Bodybuilding). Shewdas powered his way to the gold in the overall Sub junior 53kg/117lb to 105kg/232lb combined weight class at the recently concluded Pan American Championships which was staged in Orlando, Florida despite being the lightest male lifter with a bodyweight of 52.8kg/116.42lbs.
The 18-year old emerged with the highest total of 485.26 wilkes points to snatch gold from Carson Dougall of Canada (bodyweight 100.7kg/222.04lbs and wilkes points of 371.72 and Austin Gauldin of the USA (Bodyweight 72.1kg/158.98lbs and wilkes points of 355.50). It was also recently confirmed that in powering his way to the top of the podium, Shewdas smashed the existing Commonwealth records in the 53kg weight class for the squat with official lifts of Squat 197.5kg/435.48lbs (old 177.5kgs), Deadlift 207.5kg/457.53lbs (old 185kgs) and Total of 497.5kgs/1,096.98lbs (old 460kgs). The Pan American records have not yet been confirmed but the Federation is equally confident that the results will be similar to that of the Commonwealth’s. Shewdas and his Manager/Coach are scheduled to depart two days before the Championship commences. Guyanese desirous of supporting Shewdas can contact the Office of the GAPF via 225 0115 or cell 647 5375. Caption Gumendra Shewdas
