THE 14th IPF/NAPF/FESUPO Pan-American Regional Powerlifting Championships gets under way tomorrow and runs until Saturday, July 6 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

It is to be attended by 143 athletes from 14 IPF Member Federations from North, South, and Central American and the Caribbean Islands. Member Federations with teams: Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, US Virgin Islands, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The championships will be live, streamed with live scoring. It can be viewed on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/panamericanpowerliftingchampionships2013.
Tomorrow Guyana’s 12-member team will do battle, as the sole female lifter Kimberley Loncke lifts from noon. On Thursday the Shewdas brothers, Gumendra and Suraj, Fabian Ketwaroo, Vijai Rahim, Paul Adams and Winston Stoby spring into action.
On Friday Randolph Morgan, Anis Thomas and Guyana’s oldest active powerlifter, Nairanjan Singh (Masters), join the hunt for top honours.
The final day, Saturday, will see John ‘Big John’ Edwards and Colin Chesney represent Guyana.
This is the first time Guyana is fielding a full team at the Pan American level, further testimony to the increasing popularity of the sport. The Men’s team will be defending their Caribbean title as well. (Kizan Brumell)