VIJAI Rahim and Grace Babb emerged the overall winners at the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF)’s final event for 2017 – the Senior Nationals.
Rahim (74 kg), also the overall winner from the Raw Nationals held in October, garnered 504.128 wilks points with his best squat at 22.5 kg, bench press at 155 kg and deadlift of 300 kg. He competed unequipped.

On the flipside, there was a showdown between the Babb sisters – the only two competing females, but in the end Grace edged past her sister Blossom with a total of 296.675 wilks points from her 102.5 kg squat, 32.5 kg bench press and 142.5 kg deadlift. Blossom came close with 275.225 wilks points through her 87.5 kg squat, 47.5 kg bench press and 137.5 kg deadlift.

In the other male categories, Golden Boy Romario Gonsalves (66 kg) competed and scored the top spot for the 66 kg Men’s Open Unequipped and Men’s Junior Unequipped categories with a total of 560.5 kg and 460.395 wilks points. His best squat was 195.0 kg, bench press 130.5 kg and dead lift 235.0 kg.
Dwayne Welch (59 kg) competed unequipped and raked in 313.287 wilks points, earning him the top spot. His best lifts were: 117.5 kg squat; 92.5 kg bench press and 145.0kg dead lift.

Winning in the 83 kg Men’s Open Unequipped and Men’s Sub-Junior Unequipped was Brandon Badal with a total of 522.5 kg, and 353.374 wilks points.
Also in the 83 kg category was Vickram Panday who scored first in the Open Equipped category with a total of 580.0 kg and 387.286 wilks points, from his 227.5 kg squat; 132.5 kg bench press and 220.0 kg deadlift).

Franklyn Brisport (66 kg) competed in the male Open Equipped and male Masters 1 Divisions, and gathered 320.803 wilks points and 382.5 kg.
Feroz Hussain and Nigel Phillips both took gold in the 93 kg category.
Hussain competed in the Open Unequipped and Men’s Junior Unequipped classes and scored 340.146 wilks points and a total of 540.0 kg. Phillips, in the Open Equipped amassed 705.0 kg and 445.490 wilks points.

And Fazim Abdool also captured the first spot in the 105 kg Men’s Open Equipped through his 775.0 kg and 465.697 wilks points.
Seasoned powerlifters: Joseph Stoll (105 kg) Masters 2; Winston Stoby (74 kg) Masters 2 and Frank Tucker (105 kg) Masters 3 also secured the top positions in their categories. Stoll amassed 269.413 wilks points from his 165 kg squat, 90 kg bench press and 182.5 kg deadlift.

Tucker managed a 230 kg squat, 100 kg bench press and 202.5 kg deadlift, totalling 330.469 wilks points. Stoby managed 464.013 wilks points for his 230.0 kg squat; 137.5 kg bench press and 275 kg deadlift. Stoby also scored second in the male Open Equipped 74 kg class.

The highly anticipated Colin ‘Mr Clean’ Chesney and Arif Immamadeen were unable to excel overall or in their weight-class categories.
A total of 22 local strongmen and women vied for supremacy and a chance to represent Guyana at the 2018 international competitions at the event held at the Ramada Princess Hotel last Sunday.