Naranjan Singh, the 79-year-old powerlifter representing Guyana, continues to make his mark on the international stage, securing the country’s only gold medal at the ongoing South American Women’s and Men’s Classic Powerlifting Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Competing in the Masters 4 division, the USA-based Singh not only captured gold but also shattered the South American Masters 4 deadlift record with a lift of 120.5kg, surpassing the previous record of 120.0kg, which stood since 2017.
Singh, who turns 80 on October 20, had already impressed with a best squat of 87.5kg and a bench press of 77.5kg, culminating in a total of 285.5kg.
In the Open division, Kheon Evans also represented Guyana in the 83kg category.
Unfortunately, Evans was unable to continue in the competition after failing to register any successful bench press attempt at 140kg.
He faced difficulties in the squat as well, completing his first attempt at 235.0kg but missed the following two at 242.5kg.
Despite these challenges, Guyana concluded the championships with a total of five medals.
Sarah Sanmoogan secured four bronze medals on Wednesday across all three lifts and the total in the Female Junior 69kg category.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. extended his congratulations to Singh on behalf of the people and Government of Guyana.
Minister Ramson expressed pride in Singh’s achievements, emphasising that sports in Guyana is on the rise, and reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening and developing sports nationwide.
Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) President Franklin Wilson also lauded Singh’s record-breaking performance, thanking him for his long-standing contributions to the sport.
Wilson highlighted that Singh continues to serve as an inspiration to younger lifters through his unwavering dedication, passion and discipline.
The GAPLF expressed its appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission and the Guyana Olympic Association for their continued support, which has allowed Guyana to maintain its strong presence at the South American level.
