Incumbent of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF), Peter Green remained at the helm but some reshuffling within the executive was made when the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the federation was held on Sunday at the Tropical View Hotel.
One of Guyana’s most celebrated powerlifters, John ‘Big John’ Edwards was voted in as the federation’s vice president, replacing Gordon Spencer who is now the General Secretary.
Paul Adams is the new PRO/Organising Secretary since Denroy Livan is on a self-imposed sabbatical and did not seek re-election. The new Treasurer is Deonarine Dutt and the committee members are Erwyn Smith, Wendell McPherson and 2012’s World Masters 74kg Masters Two world champion and deadllift record holder, Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby. During the AGM, it was disclosed that the GAPF received three professional powerlifting sets of weights worth $6M from the Ministry of Sport.
It was also mentioned that the federation is interested in bidding to host the Caribbean Championships, the Pan American Championships and the South American Champion-ships.
The initiatives are geared towards boosting sports tourism on these shores. Meanwhile, the GAPF also wishes to inform the general public that it has concluded its investigations into the matter concerning the confirmed Anti-doping violation and suspension its Sub junior lifter, Gumendra Shewdas at the World Sub junior / Junior Powerlifting Championships in Killeen Texas by the Governing Body for Powerlifting the IPF.
The Federation concurs with the report of the IPF Anti-doping hearing Panel comprising
1. Mr. James F. Cirincione (Chair) – USA
2. Ms. Janie Soubliere LLM, LLB – CANADA
3. Dr. Hugo Velasquez – COSTA RICA
As a result recommendations were therefore forwarded to the Disciplinary Panel for deliberations and the imposition of penalties (if any).
The panel considered the following arguments by the lifter and his support personnel (his mother, his grandfather and his coach)
1. Athlete had taken tablets for a cold.
2. The source of the tablets was his grandfather.
3. The main ingredient in the tablet was Geranium 20.
4. The athlete was unaware that he was ingesting a prohibited substance as he listened/and trusted his grandfather whom he grew up with all his life.
The findings by the governing body’s doping hearing panel were very clear as was the rules governing the WADA Body to which the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation and its governing body are signatories
1. Prior to the taking of samples the athlete was given the standard doping sample form to be filled in which required him to state
a. The sample number – 2778838
b. Amount of sample (90ml) which was then poured in his presence into two tamper proof bottles and labelled sample 1 and Sample 2 containing 35ml and 55 ml respectively.
c. Questioned as whether he had been administered/taken any medicine within the last 48 hours to which his written response was NONE.
d. The bottle was then sealed in his presence and he was given a copy of the signed declaration form.
