Home Sports Demetri Chan wins powerlifting gold for Guyana at Commonwealth Championship

Demetri Chan wins powerlifting gold for Guyana at Commonwealth Championship

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Gold medallist Demetri Chan

Following a seven-year hiatus from international competition owing to elevating himself academically, Demetri Chan made a welcome return to the international platform when he pressed his way to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Powerlifting and Bench Press Championship in Sun City, South Africa.

Contesting the Open 74kg class against Canadian Oliver Webster, Chan opened with a lift of 137.5 for his first attempt before lifting the bar to 142.5 which he also succeeded with.

His final attempt of 147.5 was not successful, but he had already done enough to walk away with the gold medal, leaving the silver for Webster whose best press was 120kg.

He indicated that he was very cognisant of the fact that he still has the Commonwealth Men’s Classic Powerlifting Championship where himself and Bjorn Williams (Open 105kg class), who will join the team in South Africa, will be competing on Tuesday.

Chan shared that even though he was away from the sport studying in Cuba, his hunger for the sport remained intact.

“Seven years away from competition is a long time but I kept the flame going and stayed hungry. I feel in the past year of being home I’ve made tremendous advancement with my performances, and with overseas exposure I will only continue to improve. The path forward for me is to keep improving, continuing to train hard, be disciplined and stay healthy as well as injury free.”

Three of the four lifters in South Africa. From right: Demetri Chan, Nadaina Taharally and Roger Rogers

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. congratulated Chan on his performance on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana whilst also wishing Team Guyana the best in South Africa.

Minister Ramson noted that the sport has been doing consistently well on the international platform having also won one gold and four bronze medals at the South American Championships in Argentina, a few weeks ago through 79-year-old Naranjan Singh and Sarah Sanmoogan.

Guyana Amateur Powerlifing Federation President, Franklin Wilson also extended compliments to Chan on behalf of the fraternity stating that he was always confident that Chan would medal for Guyana, again.

Bjorn Williams

Wilson expressed delight that he is back and is confident that bigger achievements are on the horizon for this talented lifter.

Chan will be coming up against five other athletes from Canada, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, England and Sri Lanka, while Williams, who will join his teammates in South Africa, will take on nine other athletes from the Isle of Man, Wales, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Scotland, England and Sri Lanka.

Additionally, Guyana will be represented at the World Masters Men’s and Women’s Classic Championship on Monday in Sun City South Africa by Roger Rogers and Nadina Taharally.

Both Rogers and Taharally, who competed at World Masters and medalled last year, will be going after more silverware.

Taharally will be challenging 10 other athletes in the Masters 2, 76kg class from USA, Great Britain, Hungry, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, while Rogers will compete in the Masters 2, 120kg class against seven other athletes from US Virgin Islands, Great Britain, South Africa, France and Lebanon.

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