OCEANIA WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION

Transcription

1 OCEANIA WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION Latest News December 2015 The last four months was an incredible time frame of back to back events for the Oceania Weightlifting Federation. It certainly kept the OWF extremely active. These are the highlights of the last four months: SEPTEMBER 2015 COMMONWEALTH YOUTH GAMES: Samoa, from the 5 th to the 11 th September, hosted the 5 th Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia. The Organising Committee did a splendid a job. Sixty five countries took part with 1000 athletes. In the sport of weightlifting 23 countries participated with 81 entries. The weightlifting event which ran for four days was organised by Jerry Wallwork President of the Samoa Weightlifting Federation. The event ran smoothly and it was professionally organised. Jerry did an outstanding job, not only in the running of the event but also ensuring that the international technical officials were well taken care of. The IWF sent in their own technicians to run the competition software and ensure a smooth running of the competition. Moira Lassen, IWF Executive Board Member, did a great job in her role as Games Planning and Delivery Advisor. The Oceania lifters did very well, winning 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze.. FIJI won 2 Gold and 2 Silvers (Gold to Ulina Sagone and Eileen Cikamatana) New Zealand won 1 Gold 1 Silver and 1 Bronze (Gold to Vernon Leslie Taylor) Samoa won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze ( Gold to Maeu Nanai Livi) Australia won 3 Bronze Solomon Islands won 1 Bronze Eileen Cikamatana - Fiji Gold 58Kg Ulina Sagone- Fiji Gold 53Kg Maeu Livi -Samoa Gold 85Kg Vernon Taylor Gold 94Kg New Zealand OCTOBER 2015 COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIPS- PUNE: The 2015 Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Championships were held in Pune, India at the same venue which hosted the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games weightlifting event. The President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation Shri Birendra Prasad Baishya promised everyone twelve months earlier that the championships in India would be of the highest standard. Sure enough it was. The accommodation and food was superb. The competition hall was well set up with 8 warm up platforms, and all other requirements in place. The Oceania region was represented by 8 countries winning 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in the senior category. At the CWF Annual Congress the 2016 Championships were awarded to Penang Malaysia, whilst the 2017 Championships were awarded to the Gold Coast, Australia as this will also be a test event for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. COMMONWEALTH SENIOR MEDALS Samoa won 2 Gold (Gold to Mary Opeloge and Siaosi Leuo) Nauru won 1 Gold (Gold to Itte Detenamo) Kiribati won 1 Gold, ( Gold to David Katoatau) Fiji won 1 Gold ( Gold to Apolonia Vaivai) Cook Islands 1 Gold (Gold to Luisa Peters) Australia won 2 Silver (Silver to Francoise Ateondi and Damon Kelly ) Solomon Islands 1 Silver (Silver to Jenly Wini) Papua New Guinea 3 Bronze (Bronze to Dika Toua, Thelma Toua and Toua Udia.)

2 Luisa Peters Cook Islands Gold +75Kg David Katoatau Kiribati Gold 105Kg Itte Detenamo Nauru Gold +105Kg Apolonia Vaivai Fiji Gold 69Kg Mary Opeloge Samoa Gold 75Kg Siaosi Leuo Samoa Gold 94Kg 5039 entries a record OCTOBER OTIP PROGRAM Four years ago, we planned to reach 5,000 entries in And this has now been achieved. We are delighted with the results. The OTIP program this year attracted over 5,039 school participants from 60 schools. This program is attracting hundreds and hundreds of youngsters to take up the sport, both girls and boys. We have seen in the last few years many kids, who started through the OTIP program, are now lifting at Oceania and National Championships. In fact some have won gold medals at the recent Commonwealth Youth Games. Again, we are delighted that Dr. Tamas Ajan, the President of the IWF has fully backed this project from the beginning and we are indebted to his support and the contribution given towards the project. Of course the same sentiments also apply to ONOC who have also supported this unique talent identification scheme. Special thanks must also go to Eva Moska and the Continental Development Program for having faith all along in this OTIP project. OCTOBER - OCEANIA ELITE TRAINING CAMP The OWF with the assistance of the Continental Development Program of the IWF held a training camp for most of the top lifters of the Oceania region, who were regarded as possible Rio prospects. These lifters trained together as a combined unit, at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute, in Mont Dore, New Caledonia, in October 25 th November 4 th. This training camp has been set up specifically in this period as lifters prepare for the World Championships to be held in Houston in the month of November. The OWF acknowledges and appreciates the co-operation of those regional national weightlifting federations whose lifters were invited to this camp. Francois Etoundi- Australia Kimberly Taguacta Guam Lautiti Lui- Samoa NOVEMBER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP- HOUSTON This year s World Championships in Houston was magnificent. The Organising Committee did a superb job in organising the hotel, the training venue, and the competition venue in one location. Lifters and coaches did not have to worry about transport. It was an ideal situation all around. The Americans most certainly took this Championships to another level. Even the stage presentation has never been seen before in the way it was set up. Magnificent! The crowd enjoyed the championships and the battles which occurred every single day.

3 Oceania was represented by Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Palau and Nauru. Unfortunately Samoa was not able to make it due to not receiving their USA Visa in time. Trukai Marketing Manager Mr Andrew Daubney and his wife Deb in Houston with Pyrros Dimas- Greece, three times Olympic Gold medallist. Manuel Minginfel Micronesia on stage in Houston. Manuel is trying to make the 2016 Olympics. It will be his fifth Olympics. The competition stage in Houston was of another world. The crowd was enthusiastic and the lifting was spectacular. The results of our Oceania lifters in some categories were quite good but on average the results were mediocre. Not necessarily a fault of the lifters. Most of the Pacific Island lifters spent 9 days in Fiji where they had to apply and wait for their USA visa. This meant their training routine was interrupted one week before the World Championships. Nevertheless it was an experience for all of them. Especially for those lifters who competed for the first time at a World Championships. DECEMBER- ELITE DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR With the assistance of the IWF Development Program, Dr. Tamas Ajan agreed to fund this unique seminar which was held in Samoa on December 5 th and 6 th. The concept behind this seminar was to assemble a number of leading coaches from within the Oceania region in order to discuss and establish a five year plan taking in to account training camps for elite lifters, 2018 Commonwealth Games medal plan, identifying possible medal athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the future of the OTIP program, technical and coaching development, recruiting, and other related areas. It was an outstanding success with many recommendations which will now be put in place for the OWF Executive Board to review. DECEMBER - OTIP TRAINING CAMP The OTIP training camp for 2015 finished on Sunday 20 th December, and what a great year it was! 5039 entries from 148 schools. (3,020 boys and 2,019 girls ) This program has truly become an identity in schools in the Pacific islands. Countries, schools and coaches are now looking forward each year to identify students who will potentially be their next generation of weightlifting athletes. The program has grown each year and it was rewarding to see so many of these students who have participated in the OTIP program competing in the Oceania Championships, Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Olympic Youth Games in Nanjing, the Pacific Games in Port Moresby and the recent Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia-Samoa. This is truly amazing, that in a short span of time the national federations have been able to successfully tap in on the identification of talent. This year the OTIP training camp was organised for some students in January and the majority of students in December. These are some of the lifters attending the training camp this year:

4 Benet Kumeroa New Zealand Mr Laurent Cassier presents the OWF medal Yasmin Carter- Australia to Lepeka Felieisi from Tuvalu DECEMBER - PACIFIC CUP TOURNAMENT The 2015 Pacific Cup International Tournament was held on the 19th of December in Mont Dore, in New Caledonia. Lifters from 12 countries took part. Without doubt the most outstanding lifter was Manueli Tulo from Fiji. in the 56kg category. He snatched 109kg and clean & jerked 137kg for a total of 246kg. He now ranks first in the Oceania region and third in the Commonwealth. DECEMBER - AUSTRALIAN OPEN The first Australia Open International Tournament was held in Brisbane on December 12th -13th. The event was a brilliant success. Almost 70 lifters competed, including lifters from New Zealand and the Cook Islands. On Sinclair formula the best male lifter was Simplice Riibouem in the 94Kg category, whilst the best female lifter was Seen Lee in the 63Kg. The next Australia Open International will be held in March 2016 in Brisbane. As 2016 is the Olympic year, the Organising Committee expect a large number of Oceania countries to attend. DECEMBER - USA OPEN On the 5th December, at the USA Open, Marshall Islands Junior weightlifter, Mathlynn Langtor Sasser established new Oceania junior records in the clean & jerk and total in the 58kg category. Her performance was excellent, breaking a 14 year old clean & jerk record which was held by the late Tyoni Batsiua of Nauru at 105kg and a total of 185kg. Mathlynn's lifts were 80kg snatch, 106kg clean & jerk (new record) and 186kg total (new record) THE OCEANIA WEIGHTLIFTING INSTITUTE The Institute also saw two coaches graduate, after spending a full year at the Institute funded by the IOC. One was David Katoatau from Kiribati and the other was Logona Esau from Tuvalu. Dr Tamas Ajan the President of the IWF presents Dr Tamas Ajan presents Logona Esau from Tuvalu the the Oceania Coaching Diploma to David Katoatau Oceania Coaching Diploma in Port Moresby July from Kiribati in Houston -November 2015.

5 CONGRATULATION Congratulations to the President of the Marshall Islands Weightlifting Federation, Senator Anthony Muller, on his re-election as Senator of the Marshall Islands Government. RESIGNATION After many years of service to the sport of weightlifting in American Samoa as its President and many years as an IWF Category 2 referee in the region, Mr. Albert Mailo has retired from his post as the President. The new incoming President is Mr Ed Imo. Albert, the OWF wishes you all the very best and thanks you sincerely for your great contribution not only to American Samoa but also to the O.W.F. CONGRATULATION Congratulations to Guam Weightlifting for organising the first Micronesian Cup in the month of December. The 2016 Micronesian Cup will be held in Guam on 17th September. Finally the OWF wishes everyone all the very best for It will be another action packed year starting in March with the Australian Open International to be held in Brisbane. In May we will have the Oceania Championships for Senior, Junior and Youth & Olympic Qualification Event in Suva, Fiji. Then there will be the Elite Training Camp in June, the Olympic Games in Rio in August, the Commonwealth Championships in October in Penang, Malaysia, and then in November the Samoa Games in Apia. Plus, of course, there will be many other regional tournaments throughout the year. Paul Coffa MBE OWF GENERAL SECRETARY THE OWF FAMILY IN PORT MORESBY Kokoria Iabeta OWF Board Member

6 Tuapepe Jerry Wallwork OWF First Vice President Manuel Minginfel OWF Board Member Dr Moni Kami OWF Medical Chairman Mr Lyn Jones OWF Life Member Garry Marshall OWF Hon. Marcus Stephen MP Paul Coffa MBE Trent Dabwido Phil Maunder Frank Robby Technical Chairman OWF President OWF Gen.Secretary OWF Asst. Secretary OWF Board Member OWF V. President