GUYANA’S latest powerlifting prodigy, 18-year-old Gumendra Shewdas is set to create history by becoming the Nation’s youngest-ever World champion, to compete at the International Powerlifting Federation’s World Sub-junior and Junior Championships in Killeen, Texas, from August 25 – 31.

The 2012 runner-up Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year powered his way to the Gold in the overall Sub-junior 53kg/117lb to 105kg/232lb combined weight class at the recently concluded Pan American Powerlifting Championships held in Orlando, Florida, last July 1 – 7.
Despite being the lightest male lifter with a bodyweight of 52.8kg/116.42lb, coming out on top with the highest total of 485.26 wilkes to cop the gold from Carson Dougall of Canada (bodyweight – 100.7kg/222.04lb, wilkes points of 371.72) who placed second and Austin Gauldin of the USA (weight 72.1kg/158.98lb and wilkes points of 355.50) third.
It has now been confirmed that in powering his way to the gold, Shewdas smashed the existing Commonwealth records in 53kg/117lb weight class for the squat with an official lift of 197.5kg/435.48lb, eclipsing 177.5kg; Deadlift – 207.5kg/457.53lb, eclipsing 185kg and his grand total of 497.5kg/1,096.98lb which crushed the previous record of 460kg.
The Pan American records have not yet been confirmed but the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) is equally confident that the results will be similar to that of the Commonwealth’s.
The final nominations for the starting line-up feature the top six in the world this year in the 53kg sub-juniors for the World Championships with Shewdas being the favourite to capture the gold and World title. His closest rival, Dalton La Coe of the USA has an established total of 455kg.
Meanwhile, with the daunting airfare of US$1620 being quoted as the cheapest in quite some time, the GAPF welcomes any assistance to accommodate the manager’s participation in the upcoming event.
The GAPF urges Guyana to support since it is the Berbician’s final year as a sub-junior (18 years and under) as he seeks to put himself and the nation on the world map, following in the footsteps of World Masters Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby.
The lifter and his coach are scheduled to depart on Saturday, August 24, and persons desirous of supporting this lifter can contact the office of the GAPF on 225-0115 or 647-5375.