Berbice Power in focus

Feb 28, 2012 Sports

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Ahead of the 6th Annual IPF/NAPF Caribbean Powerlifting Championships that is slated for March 28 – 31,

2012 at the University of the Virgin Islands, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Kaieteur Sport will highlight members of the Guyana team that will be aiming to regain the Team championship apart from chasing individual glory.
Today we feature the young and exciting powerlifters who have been selected from the Ancient of County.
Ever since the re-emergence of Powerlifting in 2008, two Berbice Gyms, led by Egbert Jackson (Total Fitness Gym Corriverton) and Farouk Abdool (Hardcore Gym Rosignol) have quietly led the revolution in Region Six by consistently producing lifters of International caliber.
It came as no surprise when Guyana hosted its first ever International Powerlifting Championships in 2010 (The 4th IPF/NAPF Caribbean), that five of Guyana’s individual Gold medalists and members of the Gold Medal winning team hailed from Berbice; those lifters were Wazeem Immandeen & Anis Ade Thomas from Corriverton (Total Fitness) along with Farouk Abdool, Bhojkumar Jagnarine and Vijai Rahim from Rosignol (Hardcore Gym).
Now Powerlifting in Berbice is set to create further history in a big way this year with the presence of four young Berbicians making their first ever overseas appearance on the International stage as part of Team Guyana to the Caribbean Championships in the US Virgin Islands.
Visa issues will not hamper Team Guyana this time since all the athletes have already obtained theirs.
Spearheading the junior team will be former sub-junior (Under-18) 2010 Caribbean Champion Vijai Rahim now campaigning in the Junior (Under-23) category, along with fellow junior lifter and 2010 Caribbean Champion Anis Ade Thomas supported by the exciting new Berbician National sub-junior champions in the Shewdas brothers Gumendra (53kg) and Suraj (59kg).
In both Categories Guyana is heavily favored to win the overall titles with Gumendra Shewdas closely followed by his sibling Suraj (sub-junior category) and Vijai Rahim (59kg) followed closely by Anis Thomas (83kg) in the Junior category.
At this level of competition all the various weight classes in the sub-junior/junior category are lumped together with the lifter carrying the highest Wilkes Points chosen as the winner.
If the form from exhibited by the athletes at the recently concluded National Junior Championships is anything to go by, then record breaking performances are expected to be the order of the day from Vijai Rahim in the dead lift – currently held by another Guyanese Wazeem Immandeen 210kgs with a lift of 227.5 recorded in Berbice – and Anis Ade Thomas who is expect to rewrite his own existing Caribbean records of squat 242.5kgs, Dead lift 275kgs and Total 630kgs with lifts of 265kg, 290kgs and total 677.5kgs respectively also set in Berbice earlier this year.
Notable absentee to the National Junior squad is Kenneth Melville of Essequibo the 2011 Caribbean 105kg junior champion and record holder who did not participate at the National Junior Championships held early this year deeming himself ineligible for selection in what is his last year as a junior (U-23) lifter.
In an invited comment, President of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF), Peter Green stated that successful gold medal performances will result in the young lifters being able to compete at the South American Powerlifting Championships slated for Columbia in August.
“It is of utmost importance that all of the communities in Berbice rally behind their homeboys as they strive to put Guyana on the international map.
Despite outstanding and phenomenal International performances by its lifters powerlifting unfortunately will die a slow death without the crucial financial backing of the Government as well as corporate community who can benefit tremendously through the identifying of their products with the successful International stature of the lifters.”
Category:        Male Sub Junior 53kg class
Name: Gumendra Narine Shewdas
DOB: 4th February 1995
Hometown: Corriverton, Berbice                National Titles: National sub junior 53kg Champion 2012
International: None
Name: Suraj Shewdas
Category:Male Sub Junior/Open 59kg class
DOB: 2nd February 1994
Hometown:Corriverton, Berbice
National Titles:National Sub Junior 59kg champion 2012
International: None

Name: Vijai Rahim
Category: Male Junior/Open 59kg class
Hometown: Rosignol, Berbice
DOB: 21st January 1992
National Titles:    National 59kg Junior (2012) and Open (2011) Champion            International:Caribbean gold medalist 2010

Name: Anis Ade Thomas
Category: Male Junior/Open 83kg class
Hometown: New Amsterdam, Berbice
DOB: 30th October 1989
National Titles:    National 83kg Junior champion 2012
International:Caribbean gold medalist and record holder 2010

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