Brady, Hunter dominate as Nathon Hackett grab Overall title
ON Sunday last, at Saint Stanislaus College auditorium, 73- year old novice powerlifter, Norman Brady and Junior Romeo Hunter showed their strength to capture several records when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation staged its National Novices and Junior championship.
Norman Brady defied his age to set a new national record in the men’s master 4 classic. First he set a new squat record of 67.5 kg, and then went on to clinch bench press mark of 70 kg and a deadlift of 110kg to also eclipse the total record of 247.5 kg to go along with his men’s master 4 classic category win for the 83kg weight class.
Seventeen year – old Romeo Hunter on the other end of the age scale was also outstanding as he clinched the 83kg men’s sub-junior equipped category after setting four new national records.
He first edged the mark in the squat, squatting 280kg before setting a new bench press record of 182.5kg and deadlift record of 237.5kg for a new total record worth 700kg.
Also on the records list was Nicholas Teju who set a new record in the men’s junior classic squat of 145kg, deadlift of 182.5kg and total 402.5kg to win his class.
The overall winner based on the new international powerlifting federation scoring matric was Nathon Hackett.
Hackett featured in the ultra-competitive 93kg junior and open category which was strikingly familiar to the battle of the 93kg at the recently concluded Sheffield Powerlifting Championship featuring four elite performers from Sweden, USA and Guyana with Carlos Petterson-Griffith representing Guyana. Carlos was on hand for the competition which saw the athletes going from strength to strength.
The local battles featured athletes from Unity gym, Ravin fitness training, and Fitness 53 and Exodus gym.
93kg Hackett came up against the likes of Omali Vancooten, Oslen Batson, Nigel Duguid and John Joshua who turned up to ink their names into the history books.
Joshua ‘bombed-out’ after failing his lift but Vancooten stepped up to the plate to emerge the top powerlifter claiming the men’s junior and open classic grouping after a 575kg total. He finished 212.5kg in the squat, 125kg in bench-press and 237 kg in the deadlift.
Hackett would take second place after a 562kg total with Baston third after amassing 654kg.
In the other male categories Matthew Watinou took the 66kg men’s sub junior and open classic wins ahead of Omar Satar and Omari Kewley respectively.
Denesh Manbodh won the open and junior 59 kg men’s junior categories. Meshach Alexander took the men’s junior classic 74kg win.
Keiron Abrigro clinched the 83kg men’s open class win with Irshaad Ali second.
Ali however was good enough to take the 83kg men junior classic class win.
On the distaff side, the winners were Mariah Bacchus in the 69 women’s junior class, Kendra Singh in the women open classic and Ronessa McAdam in the 69 kg women open classic.
