Sport Preview: Powerlifting

Power, strength, concentration and courage will be on show from 28 to 30 November at the Sol2023 Pacific Games powerlifting events.

Honiara’s Maranatha Hall will play host to some of the best powerlifters in the region who will compete in three different disciplines – squat, bench press and deadlift – which are designed to measure the different aspects of human strength.

The competition will see eight different weight class events for both men and women, which means there will be a total of 16 gold medals up for grabs during the three-day event.

The Samoa 2019 Pacific Games saw Papua New Guinea and Nauru dominating the competition, with each collecting six of the 15 gold medals available that year. Samoa won the other three gold medals.

Among the lifters who will be competing in Honiara is PNG’s Vagi Henry, who will be looking to improve on the silver medal that he won at Samoa 2019.

Henry is the current PNG national record holder with a 280kg squat and 290kg deadlift.

Teammate and the president of the PNG Powerlifting Federation, Linda Pulsan, will be aiming to defend her gold medal in the -72kg division from four years ago. The 53-year-old will be competing in what is likely her last Pacific Games.

Nauruan powerlifter Jezza Uepa will be another hot contender for gold this year. He was crowned as the world’s strongest man at the World Powerlifting Championship in Sweden in 2020.

General admission tickets will be available at the Sol2023 ticket booth at Maranatha Hall for $30 SBD. The action begins at 9:30am on Tuesday.

By Timothy Inifiri Jnr, Pacific Games News Service