Hilmar Burger’s information on Junior European Championships
The Oceania Weightlifting Institute
In 2001 Paul Coffa the Oceania General Secretary , left Nauru with his family and moved to the beautiful islands of Fiji . He settled in the town of Sigatoka . After spending all of his life in weightlifting, and after seeing how much potential there was on the island of Nauru and the Pacific in general, he felt compelled to do something for weightlifting in Sigatoka for the region. With the assistance of the local city and his own funds, he built a weightlifting gym and called it the Oceania Weightlifting Institute. He bought 10 sets of weights, he built 10 platforms and the Oceania Weightlifting Institute was created. It was an instant success and most of the Pacific National Olympic Committees through the IOC Solidarity program started to send their athletes to train in Sigatoka. At the 2004 Olympic Games, 9 lifters from 7 countries made the Olympic Games. Institute lifters started to win World Championship medals. The success continued and 33 medals out of a possible 45 were won by Institute athletes at the South Pacific Games in Suva in 2003. In October 2005, after lengthy discussions and meetings with the Government of Samoa and with the assistance of Seiuli Paul Wallwork who at that time was President of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation, it was decided to relocate the Institute to a brand new stadium which Samoa had built for the 2007 South Pacific Games. The Prime Minister of Samoa who is presently the Patron of the OWF, opened the facility in Apia , Samoa . The facility was world standard and the Institute continued to produce outstanding results. Ele Opeloge, the 75+kg super athlete, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games by just 1kg, started her career one month after the opening of the facility and was part of the Institute program until October 2007. Most of the lifters from Sigatoka, also relocated to Apia and their success continued. Another medal was won with Manuel Minginfel at the 2006 World Championships in Santo Domingo . Two world events were held in Apia whilst the Institute was there. The Pacific Rim International, the World Cup and in both events Dr. Tamas Ajan, President of the IWF was in attendance. And the third event of course was the 2007 South Pacific Games which Samoa organized. In the sport of weightlifting at the South Pacific Games the success of the Institute was outstanding with lifters winning 39 gold out of a possible 45. It was obvious to every country of the Pacific, that the Institute was unique and very successful with its results. Quite a few countries showed a lot of interest in having the Institute program and New Caledonia took the initiative by offering the OWF a brand new training facility and accommodation specifically for the sport of weightlifting. In 2007 after a number of meetings between the New Caledonia Mnister for Sport, Le Comité Térritorial Olympique et Sportif (CTOS) Mr.Ronald Frere the President of the Regional Weightlifting Federation, the 2011 Pacific Games Council, and the OWF General Secretary , Paul Coffa, it was decided to relocate the Institute program to New Caledonia. In February 2008, the Institute program commenced in New Caledonia . Temporary facilities were made available until the Institute building was completed. In 2008, of the 14 lifters from the Oceania Region who took part at the Beijing Olympic Games, 9 were institute lifters from nine Pacific countries plus a former institute lifter from Samoa making it 10 lifters from 10 Pacific countries. The new weightlifting institute building specifically built to cater for the Institute program is now ready and it was opened on Saturday, 1st August, by the President of the New Caledonia Government, Mr. Philippe Gomez, the Mayor of the City of Mont Dore, Mr.Eric Gay, and His Excellency, Marcus Stephen, President of the OWF. Over 250 guests were in attendance including many Heads of State of the Pacific Island nations. IWF was represented by Mr. Ma, General Secretary. Regional IOC members also have been invited to attend. The Institute facilities includes a main training hall with 18 platforms, a second training hall which includes 10 platforms plus general weight training equipment, changing facilities for men and women, weigh-in rooms, doping control room, offices, and reception area. The accommodation area includes twelve rooms with en-suite facilities catering for 24 athletes, a large dining room, television room, kitchen facilities, utilities room, meeting room and the OWF Weightlifting office. It is interesting that already quite a few countries outside of the Oceania region have expressed interest in training at the Institute here in New
Wait is over for Myers
Proving herself at national level was a weight off the shoulders for Jenna Myers. At the Australian weightlifting championships in Melbourne last week, the Frankford 23-year-old lifted more than any other sub-75kg Tasmanian woman in history to claim the national title and a shot at the world crown. The achievement, which involved breaking two of her own Tasmanian records, came within a year of returning to the sport as a Tasmanian Institute of Sport scholarship holder after serving a two-year suspension for a banned stimulant. "I wanted to prove to myself, and to those people who did not believe me, that I could become Australian champion," Myers said. "I've got a lot to prove to some people but also to myself, my coach and the TIS and this is just another stepping stone to doing that. Competing in the under-75kg division, Myers snatched a Tasmanian record 96kg and clean and jerked 112kg for a total of 208kg - 1kg above her existing state benchmark and 7kg over the world championship qualifying figure. She now has both the Australian and Oceania records in her sights. "She is lifting the heaviest weights a Tasmanian girl has ever done," PCYC coach Mark Brown said. "The landmark lift of 100kg snatch is just around the corner and she would be the first Australian of her weight to achieve it." Myers will contest the world titles in South Korea in November and next June will attend trials for the Commonwealth Games in India. "It's an honour to be selected to represent my country against the very best," the Parks and Wildlife employee said. "The world championships are second only to the Olympics so are a fairly big stage and it will probably be a dress rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games and another chance to prove myself." (Australian Weightlifting
2009 Commonwealth Junior and Senior Championships, entry forms and an information bulletin
Invitation Letter Regulations Final Entry Junior Final Entry
China to auction more Olympic items on anniversary
More than 20 memorabilia items from the Beijing Olympics, from an autographed torch to a barbell kissed by a Chinese weightlifting winner, will be up for auction next week to commemorate the first anniversary of the games. Other items to be sold Aug. 8 include inflatable boats that carried judges and the media during sailing events, the China Beijing Equity Exchange said on its Web site.The barbell was the one Zhang Xiangxiang knelt and kissed after winning the gold medal in the men's 62 kg category. Also up for auction are an Olympic torch autographed by former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch and torches from previous games. "These articles, as an important part of the Olympic heritage, attracted wide attention of the media and borne the spirit of Olympic Games with touching stories," said the state company, which was appointed by organizers to dispose of assets. The auction will be held at the company's auction venue in Beijing and 13 other cities, as well as on a Web site. The firm has collected $27 million by auctioning off 700,000 Olympic items in the past year, including an extra-long bed slept in by NBA star Yao
Thai Coaching seminar at Chiang Mai
During July 25-26, 2009 Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) held a Thai Coaching seminar at Chiang Mai, Thailand. There were 40 people from nationwide clubs to participate. Main topics were led and delivered by Major General Intarat Yodbangtoey (IWF Executive Board Member), Mr. Nippon Limboonsuebsai (IWF Coaching & Research Committee Member), Mrs. Boossaba Yodbangtoey (TAWA President) and Mr. Bunpot Sangkeo (TAWA Vice President) as the following. • develop conceptual thoughts by way of increasing quality of young weightlifters and well-prepared training by professional weightlifting coaches • discuss all working procedures, manuals and currently technological tools to leverage Thailand weightlifting as a mass sport align with the world class standardization• update and being shared direction and policy of worldwide coaching profession from Dr. Tamas Ajan, IWF President, whose speech in the first meeting of IWF Coaching & Research Committee Member in Bucharest, Romania on June 12, 2009 Dr. Aján's Adressed Message The Committee's idea to create a Coaching Manual, including a 3-level coaching course is brilliant. Public Club National Camp Please follow up on the Coaching License logistics. A Coaching Database is important. We need experts and lecturersfor our Development Programs, including clinics. The presentation of the Educational Program in Chiang Mai was very successful. Another opportunity to introduce the program will occur at the Senior World Championships. Besides, the coaches were also input nutrition knowledge how to feed our weightlifters in right way, importantly so as to have quality assurance to avoid doping substance come up with technical methodology as well as technological equipments by Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).
