The top brass of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) recently sat down with Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, to discuss several concerns which included finding a home for the equipment of the strength sport.
Other topics of discussion included funding, upcoming local and foreign championships and the suspension of star lifter, Carlos Petterson Griffith, a release from the federation stated.
Ninvalle, through the National Sports Commission, offered support in finding a home for the federation’s equipment and discussions were held about Guyana being a model to other regional powerlifting bodies such as Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica and others from within the region.
The GAPLF also outlined its upcoming local and international events starting with the Masters/Intermediate Championships to be held Sunday at the St Stanislaus College; the North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) Championships set for Panama City from August 15-21; the Raw Classic Championships on October 15 and the Senior Nationals on December 4.
Support was pledged for the overseas engagement which has a substantial budget to field a large contingent of athletes that have been shortlisted to compete at the NAPF event.
Guyana boasts four category-two International Powerlifting (IPF) referees and will be sending two other individuals Mark Seymour and Juanita White to Panama to write their IPF examination.
The GAPLF indicated its intention to invite overseas competitors for its senior nationals, in order to improve the level of competition.
Future developmental interest for the federation is getting a programme incorporated into the school system and the federation will be reaching out to the Ministry of Education.
The GAPLF is adamant that they play a vital role in getting the youths to stay in good health, shape, and frame of mind so as to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The federation is working to decentralize powerlifting and to reform the constitution to have regional bodies and representatives.
Also in the pipeline is to have outreaches in areas such as Lethem, North-West, Essequibo, and Bartica as competitions will soon be held in those regions.
The release also stated that the suspension of Carlos Peterson Griffith by the International Powerlifting Federation was served from December 2021 and ended in February 2022.
