A seven-man team of PNG Junior Weightlifters doing impressively well in the ‘2023 Oceania Youth, Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships’ in Apia, Samoa. They all won 3 Gold, 2 Silver, and 5 Bronze Medals in the Youth, Junior, and U23 divisions of their respective weight categories in which they competed.
The weight categories range from 40Kg, 49Kg, 55Kg, 59Kg, 64Kg, 71Kg, 76Kg, 81+Kg, 87Kg, to 87+Kg for women, while the men’s categories range from 49Kg, 55Kg, 61Kg, 67Kg, 73Kg, 81Kg, 89Kg, 96Kg, 102Kg, 109Kg to 109+Kg.
The divisions that the Junior weightlifters competed in and were successful in are; Youth, Junior, and U23. The only two females who competed were Ani Geua Gavera and Idau Vagi. Gavera won Gold in the women's Youth division of the 40 kg category while Vagi collected all the bronze in Youth, Junior, and U23 of the 55 kg women's category.
Vagi also did a 65Kg snatch and 75Kg clean and Jerk. A total of 140 kg.
In the Men's corner, the five weightlifters who won medals are; Lawrence Reva Oala, who got Silver in the Youth division of 49Kg category, Peter Ezekiel Doura got Gold in the Juniors of 55Kg and a Bronze in the U23 while Gahuna Ian Nauari got Silver in that same division and weight category.
Meanwhile, in the 61Kg, Heni Udu got Gold in the U23 division and Simeon Tim Dago settled for Bronze.
The championships started on Thursday 5th October and finished today (7th October 2023). The team is expected to travel back to PNG tomorrow (Sunday 8th October 2023).
The countries that PNG competed against are; Samoa, Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Marshall Island, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Cook Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
Photo Credit: Samoa Weightlifting Federation Inc.
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