Oceania Weightlifting Federation

Latest News March 2010

Oceania weightlifting website With the support of ZKC and of course with the expertise of Miles Wydall the Oceania Weightlifting Federation has now an excellent website www.oceaniaweightlifting.com It is very easy to navigate with news updated regularly as well. The website has all the information regarding the Oceania region and we ask all our affiliated countries to regularly inform us of what is happening within their own Federation.

Pacific Islands email tournament The results of the 2010 Pacific Islands Email Tournament held on February 26-28 were excellent. It was another successful event for the pacific island region which attracted 150 competitors from the following countries: Palau, FSM, Kiribati, , Tuvalu, PNG, , , American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, and . There was some excellent performances amongst the pacific lifters and with the coming up this year, this is very encouraging for our region.

Fiji Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year to weightlifters. Levuka native weightlifters Manueli Tulo and Maria Liku won the 2009 FASANOC Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award in Fiji.

For Tulo, this is the second consecutive year that he has won this award, whilst this was Maria’s first time winning this prestigious award. Both athletes are based at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New – Caledonia. Tulo produced a remarkable achievement last year setting records, winning gold medals at many events and also was awarded one of the eight Commonwealth Sports awards.

Although Tulo is only 19 years of age, he is the current Oceania Senior and Junior Champion in the 56kg category. His best lifts are 106kg snatch, and 135kg clean & jerk. He recently set a new Oceania Junior total record of 236kg ranking him, one per country, third in the Commonwealth. Tulo is looking forward to compete in - Fiji in the month of May, during the 19 year old Manueli Tulo, Fiji Oceania Senior and Junior Championships. ======Softly spoken Maria Liku was shocked to win her first national senior award at the FASANOC Sports Awards in Suva last week

The New Caledonia-based national weightlifter arrived into the country from the Institute only to find out that she was being nominated for the award. Liku said it was always her dream to win such an award since taking up the sport at an early age of 12.

She first represented Fiji at the 2003 South in Suva. There was no looking back for the youngster as she continued her young and colourful weightlifting career in New Caledonia. Liku won three gold medals at the Pacific Mini Games in Cook Islands last year. Maria Liku receives her award from chief guest Ryan Pini (PNG), Commonwealth gold medallist

Dr. Tamás Aján received the Olympic Order The Oceania Weightlifting Federation wishes to congratulate Dr. Tamás Aján, President of the International Weightlifting Federation and Honorary Member of the IOC on receiving the Olympic Order on February 28, 2010, in , British Columbia, . The Order was presented to Dr. Aján by Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC. The Olympic Order is the highest award of the Olympic Movement, created by the IOC in May 1975. The Olympic Order is awarded to individuals for particularly distinguished contribution to the Olympic Movement.

Oceania Championships shifted to Fiji The 2010 Oceania and South Pacific Weightlifting championships which were scheduled to be held in Nauru on May 4-7, has now been relocated to Suva Fiji. With so many competitors and officials from 18 countries taking part, the weekly Nauru airline flight from Fiji to Kiribati and into Nauru could not accommodate all passengers. Therefore the OWF had no option but to relocate the event from Nauru. This has also been approved by the IWF.

The Fiji Weightlifting Federation President, Mr. Atma Maharaj, and General Secretary, Mr. Chris Yee, saw the opportunity for Fiji to host this major event and quickly grasped that opportunity.

These championships which will be held at the Yat Sen centre from May the 4th to the 7th, is the first international weightlifting tournament held in Fiji since the Oceania Weightlifting Institute was shifted from Sigatoka 5 years ago.

These championships also will include the first Olympic Youth Continental qualification event for the upcoming Olympic Youth Games to be held in Singapore in the month of August. The age of competitors for the youth qualification event is 13 to 17 years.

NEW RECORD TO ITTE DETENAMO (Nauru) Super-heavyweight weightlifter Itte Detenamo (Nauru) has just returned back to the Oceania Weightlifting Institute here in New Caledonia from his short but successful trip to the USA, where he competed at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Weightlifting Championships, in Columbus - Ohio. Itte snatched a personal best lift of 175Kg and clean & jerked 216Kg and set a New South Pacific Total record of 391Kg. This total of 391Kg has moved Itte into first place in the Commonwealth rankings.

The tournament was a great success with almost 300 competitors taking part. Over 180,000 people attended the 3 day sports extravaganza aimed at fitness and strength. Apart from weightlifting other sports included in the program were, body building, power lifting, cross fit games, martial arts, arm wrestling, wrestling, boxing, figure skating, karate, strong man classic, fencing, judo, archery, and many other sports. The exhibition was held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center . Governor Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were amongst the guests during the three day event.

Itte with 175Kg snatch Itte clean & jerk 216Kg. Sylvester Stallone and the Director of the weightlifting event, Mark Cannella.

Palau to host 2010 Micronesia Games Palau will be the host country for the 2010 Micronesian Games to be held in August 1st to the 10th. Countries participating are Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands , Saipan, Palau and the four states of Micronesia – Yap, Kosrae, Chuuk and Pohnpei.

A new President for New Zealand Weightlifting New Zealand has a new President in Weightlifting. Mr. Rory Barret, one of the top weightlifters New Zealand produced in the 1970’s and 1980’s has been elected to the position of President of Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand. Mr. Terry Hughes is the new CEO. The Oceania Weightlifting Federation wishes both gentlemen great success in the future.

Congratulations to Manuel Minginfel Manuel Minginfel, three times Olympian and one of the greatest weightlifters the Oceania has ever produced is now the new General Secretary of the FSM Weightlifting Federation. Manuel won silver at the World Championships in the clean & jerk in Santo Domingo in 2006. He represented FSM at the 2000 Olympics, 2004 Olympics and 2008 Olympics.

New Secretary for Kiribati Weightlifting. Willy Uan, past General Secretary of the Kiribati Olympic Committee and one of the first coaches and administrator for the sport of weightlifting in Kiribati has now been elected the General Secretary of the Kiribati Weightlifting Federation. Congratulations Willy on your new appointment.

Coming Events May 4-7 Suva -Fiji 2010 Oceania Senior, Junior & Youth Championships. Also the IWF Youth Olympic Continental Qualification event for Oceania June 11- 20 Sofia -Bulgaria 2010 World Junior Championships June 25-27 OWF office The 2010 ZKC Email international club tournament August 1-10 Koror- Palau 2010 Micronesia Games August 14-26 Singapore Olympic Youth Games

Paul Coffa MBE OWF General Secretary