By Sports Staff
DUBAI: Two world records were set in the Juniors category of the 8th Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2017 by Kazakhstan’s Akzhol Zharylgapov who won the Junior Men’s up to 59kg with a world best of 100kg, and Malaysia’s 17-year-old Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (141kg) who improved on the Junior Men’s up to 65kg world record by 14kg during his triumph.
Arab teams continued to flourish after Jordan won the second gold medal and Algeria claimed the first medal in the middle weights.
Jordanian Mohammad Tarbash improved on his second place finish in the 2016 Fazza World Cup in Dubai, winning the Senior Men’s up to 59kg weight class with a lift of 172kg.
Esen Kaliev of Kyrgystan took silver with a lift of 168kg while Ukraine’s Ruslan Korchynski was awarded a bronze after a tie with Indian Ashok who also lifted 160kg but had two ‘no-lifts’.
Algeria’s Hocine Bettir was the winner in the Senior Men’s up to 65kg with a lift of 178kg to edge out Poland’s Marek Trykacz (176kg). Egypt’s Mahmoud Attia (175kg) had to settle for a bronze after a close contest.
In the Junior Men’s up to 59kg weight class, Vladimir Nizavitin took the silver with a lift of 98kg following the record-breaking effort of 19 year-old Zharylgapov. Japan’s Kazuki Okuyama claimed the bronze with a lift of 92kg.
Ukraine’s Mariana Skevchuk won the gold medal in the Senior Women’s up to 55kg weight class with a lift 106kg. Egyptian Omaima Omar grabbed the silver with a lift of 98kg while Italian Martina Barbierato took the bronze with a lift of 86kg. UAE’s Moza Al Zeyoudi was ranked sixth after lifting 62kg.
Some194 athletes from 33 countries are participating in the Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2017, which will serve as a qualifier for the World Para Powerlifting Championship to be held in Mexico in September this year. The UAE is represented by 12 athletes, including two females.
Dubai will be one of only two qualifying competitions for Mexico. The other qualifying event will be held in Hungary in May.
The 8th Fazza World Para Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2017 is being organised and supervised by the Dubai Club for the Disabled under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council.
The competition is supported by the club’s strategic partners Dubai Sports Council, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW), and the UAE Paralympic Committee.