Weightlifting Fiji need more lifters

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Gold prospects ... Members of the Team Fiji Weightlifting squad after a training session in Gold Coast, Australia yesterday. Picture: ATMA MAHARAJ/SUPPLIED
Members of the Team Fiji Weightlifting squad, majority of whom are members of the weightlifting club in Levuka. Picture: FT FILE/SUPPLIED

WITH the recent donation of their new equipment from International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) as part of their development grant, Weightlifting Fiji is looking for athletes to be part of the sport.

General Secretary, Ritesh Ratiram said they want 20 lifters in the National Senior Elite Squad and another 40 in the Youth and development squad.

“The bigger picture has to be about growing the sport both at the grass roots level to give us a solid foundation for years ahead, and at the elite level, to turn Fiji into a genuine weightlifting powerhouse,” he said.

“Weightlifting has produced some great results from a very small base of athletes. We wish to give the sport a lot more depth and fill other weight categories that we haven’t really contested in, in recent times. Fiji has some very strong athletes and we need to do justice as a National Federation to grow the sport and take the sport to all parts of the country to give them an opportunity to be the best they can be.

“The plan is to set up weightlifting centres around the country with trained coaches to help grow the sport.”

The grant includes 8 sets of training equipment, 2 sets of competition equipment and 10 pairs of weightlifting shoes.

 

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