GAWA still aiming to keep muscles flexible despite challenges Attracting youths continue to be a challenge
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President of the Guyana Amateur Weightlifting Association (GAWA) Frank Tucker and his Technical Director Deion Nurse are in sync when it comes to the forward thrust of the association as regards its continued fight to keep the sport alive.
Speaking with Kaieteur Sport on its plans for the year while looking back at what transpired in 2017, Tucker and Nurse are in agreement that attracting young people to the sport continues to be one of their biggest hurdles.
They noted that migration, the quest to get better jobs and the extra lesson syndrome are some of the reasons why youths are not being attracted to the sport despite the association trying its utmost.
Notwithstanding these challenges, the GAWA has been out and about locally and on the international scene trying to keep the sport in the spotlight.
The association has put together a very ambitious budget of $17.5M which would cover expenses associated with its 2018 Calender of Activities. Some of the activities include attendance at the Pan American Weightlifting Federation Congress in Santo Domingo (Feb 23-25 – $300,000); National Development Meet (March 25 – $100,000); Manuel Suarez Tournament in Cuba (March 12-17 – $946,000); Commonwealth Games in Australia (April 4-15 – $1,320.000); 78th Anniversary Celebrations (May – $400,000); Pan American Senior Championships in the Dominican Republic (May – $1,485,000); South American Games in Bolivia (June – $990,000), Pan American Masters in Canada (June – $$1,320,000); National Open Championships (June $200,000); IWF World Junior Championships in Uzbekistan (July – $1,950,000); Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia (July-August – $990,000); IWF World Masters in Spain (August – $1,890,000); Pan American Junior Championships in Ecuador (September – $1,500,000); Youth Olympic Games in Argentina (October – $1,350,000); IWF World Championships in Turkmenistan (November – $$1,950,000) and the Caribbean Championships in Barbados (November – $800,000).
The association has also scheduled fund raising activities for April, June and August as a means to help itself in offsetting some of the forecasted expenses.
The body continues to host training sessions at the Michael Parris Fitness Center located in the National Park and is encouraging persons interested in joining the sport to visit them there.
In March 2017, the association took Matthew Assing to compete in Cuba (Manuel Saurez Tournament) in the 69kg class where he won 3 bronze medals in the Junior Category.
At the Pan American Seniors in Miami in June which served as a qualifier for the 2019 Pan American Championships to be hosted in Lima, Peru, Krystal Chanderban represented the Land of Many Waters in the 58kg class.
A 9-member team flew the Golden Arrowhead at the Phillip and Springer Caribbean Championships in Barbados where they bagged 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. Krystal Chanderban who won gold in the 58kg class emerged as the Best Overall female athlete.
Matthew Assing (gold-69kg), Shawn Bristol (silver-69kg), Dillon Mahadeo (gold-94kg), Colin McKoy (bronze-69kg Masters Over-50) and Deion Nurse (bronze-85kg Masters) were the other athletes making up team Guyana. Nurse was named Best Overall Masters athlete.
Local competitions were held in March while there was also a GOA Development Tournament hat took place at the Giftland Mall in June. Nurse was happy to inform that Masters competition has made a grand return to the landscape and they and they are hoping that this aspect of the sport can be used as motivation to attract other athletes.
The association intends to utilise the platforms that would be available at numerous fitness drives around the nation to help create awareness of the sport and its benefits towards the health and wellbeing of athletes.
A Pan American Weightlifting Seminar was also hosted in March, 2017 where Dr. Kyle Pearce of the USA was the Facilitator. Both Messer’s Tucker and Nurse are optimistic that 2018 would be a fruitful year for the association.
Meanwhile, the annual General Meeting is slated for the Guyana Olympic Headquarters on February 24, next. (Franklin Wilson)