ASHGABAT (Turkmenistan), Sept 26 (APP): Hojamuhammet Toycyyew (TKM)
spoke for many of those who took part as he paused to reflect on the success of the Weightlifting Competition at the 2017 Ashgabat 5th Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games.
“I love this sport,” said the affable Toycyyew after he won the silver
medal in the +105 category, the last to be contested of 16 divisions split evenly between men and women.
China dominated the women’s ranks, winning five titles, while Viet Nam
and Uzbekistan produced two gold medalists apiece in the men’s.
Several lifters served notice that they are likely to be fixtures on the
big stage in the years ahead.
Sohrab Moradi of Iran is the new world record holder in the men’s 94kg
division. He raised a combined Snatch and Clean & Jerk aggregate of 413kg in the air with relative ease to break a benchmark set in 1999.
On the women’s side, Liao Qiuyun (CHN) targeted her own place among the
sport’s elite after she topped the 58kg category. “I can be top three in the world. I don’t think that will be a problem,” she said.
While all the competitors deserved high praise for their efforts,
perhaps the top marks went to the Weightlifting Arena itself. “This is simply gorgeous,” said veteran Australian coach Leo Isaac of the venue.
“It is one of the best I have seen, if not the best,” he added.
Surprisingly no Pakistanis make to even at no. 6th out of the total lot in any of the three categories 77kg, 94kg and 105kg weight. Furqan Anwar could not make it into the final line up as he was in the group-B while Usman Rathore competed in 94kg and far behind with his Snatch and Clean & Jerk show by recording 333 and Jamil Akhtar could not make into the main line of 105kg weight.
There athletes took part in the Men’s 56 kg, Men’s 62 kg, Men’s 69 kg,
Men’s 77 kg, Men’s 85 kg, Men’s 94 kg, Men’s 105 kg, Men’s +105 kg, Women’s 48 kg, Women’s 53 kg, Women’s 58 kg, Women’s 63 kg, Women’s 69 kg, Women’s 75 kg, Women’s 90 kg, and Women’s +90 kg.
China with 6 gold, one silver and two bronze medal got first position at
the medal table, followed by Uzbekistan with two gold, six silver and one bronze medal, Vietnam got two gold, one silver and one bronze medal, Turkmenistan got one gold, three silver and two bronze medals while Iran, who player, Sohran created a new world record, got one gold medal, one silver and two bronze medals.
