Niue claims 10 golds and 6 silvers from the Oceania Powerlifting Championships
Niue powerlifting athletes (left to right): Ramsi Edwards, John Kaulima, Hipa Tuhipa, Tony Edwards, Carol Edwards, Claudia Viliamu, Maxine Edwards, Sidney Lui and Team Manager Julie Funaki-Talagi | Photo credits: Sidney Lui/Facebook
The Oceania Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships held here in Niue concluded last Thursday, where Team Niue came away with a total of 16 medals – 10 Golds and 6 silvers.
The three-day tournament began last Tuesday 10th April and ended on Thursday with a special feast hosted by the Hakupu women’s group at the Tuatea school hall.
According to Oceania Regional Powerlifting Federation (ORPF), “more than 80 Oceania records set, and even some lifts over and above current World Records.”
Team Niue competitor and also gold medalist Carol Edwards in a Facebook post last week stated “this week was the best experience ever as we chose to focus on our team Niue and take care of our friends that came to compete.”
“Even though we didn’t have an extended number of helpers we as Team Niue managed to plan, organise and run this Sanctioned Competition in between training and finally to compete and represent Niue,” says Carol.
Tournament organiser and Niue lifter Sidney Lui also posted on Facebook sharing the team’s success was a result of the hard work the team has put in to achieve their goals.
“Although many times, there were obstacles in our way, our success was fueled with humble and hard working leaders and athletes and we focused on achieving our goals without fear,” says Sidney.
For the Nauru powerlifting team, they won 55 gold medals and 6 silver medals in total from the championships, according to the Nauru News Media (NTV).
“Barassi Botelanga is one of many Nauruan lifters who competed and now holds an Oceania record at the recent championship,” says NTV.
The Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) also posted on social media the achievements of Solomon Islands Powerlifting team claiming 6 medals in total – 3 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze from the tournament.
“The competition was completed yesterday (last Thursday), having the nation’s powerlifting team creating history for the first time ever in scooping medals for ‘powerlifting sport’ in any regional competition,” says SINIS.
BCN News reached out to Niue Powerlifting Federation President Tony Edwards to provide a comment on the overall outcome of the tournament but he has no comments he wishes to give.
Teams from Nauru, Tonga and Solomon Islands returned to their homelands on a special Nauru airline charter flight last Saturday.
