Weightlifting

One of the oldest sports known to man :

Hafiz Marikar

Weightlifting is one of the oldest sport. At one time this sport was dominated in Kandy and produced several weight lifters who brought honor to their clubs, themselves and the country.

Kandy was the hub for the Iron sport. All this was made possible due to the immense support and helping hand extended by Kandy YMCA, who were backed by the National Olympic Committee and Sports Ministry.

This sport is one of the oldest sport known to mankind. Test of strength had always been a challenge to young men throughout history and all civilizations have their legends associated with their feats of power.

It is possible to suppose, that the lifting of weights, with wrestling and running were among man’s earliest means of measuring superiority.

Weight Lifting was introduced to Sri Lanka as a sport in 1939 by an Englishman, who was a serviceman, named G.J. P. Hill at a trial contest at the Fort YMCA. This was followed by Kandy YMCA, but soon went bankrupt in 1954.

Nine years later, in 1963, an organized and focused association was formed in the name Sri Lanka Amateur Weight Lifting and Body Building Association.

This association, like in 1939, conducted a trial meet for amateurs in 1963 which was continued until 1974. The same year, the bodybuilding section of the association broke away and formed the Sri Lanka Amateur Body Building Association, which was, since 1977, called the Sri Lanka Weight Lifting Federation.

The Sri Lanka Weighlifting Federation is a member of all its senior federations like the Asian, Commonwealth and the International Body Building Federations. Since the Federation was formed, it expanded its activities to the four corners of the country with the help of the Ministry of Sports, and the NOC.

This is one of the prominent sport that could bring International fame to our country.

With the sporting Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage who is doing a wonderful job to lift the standard of sports, should give a big hand to Weightlifting. Today weightlifting is catching up in a big way in schools. Even girls are interested in taking to this sport and be recognized. The Services have taken up the iron sport in a big way.

From the first bronze medal, from the Pakistan International game in 1982 up to the present strength weighlifters have brought in many Silver and Bronze medals. Our weighlifters have taken part from 1982 Asian Games and in 1984 Olympic game in addition to several International championships.

I can remember in 1986 one of our lifters at the Commonwealth Championships in Malta won a Bronze Medal.

In the good old days, promoters such as S.A. Wijawickrema Snr and Jnr, A Darmadasa, Mauirce Windus, with few others did their best to promote this sport. When the sport was declining and on the verge of heading towards a natural death, the above mentioned people came forward and brought the sport to its original status with great commitment and dedication.

There is another person one cannot forget in Iron sport he is T.S.J. Packeer Ally the doyen of Iron sport. When the iron sport was revived after 40 odd years, the first team to tour overseas, were from G.V.A. Croos (Bantham), S.A. Wijawickrema Jnr. (Feather), Mahesh Sabarthnam (Light), Niyaz Majeed (Middle), W.S.K. Perera (Light).

The team was managed by J. Ranasinghe, T.S.J. Pakeer Ally (Coach) who was a FIFA qualified Football Coach, Linne Schoorman went as referee. This was to Peking.

When Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient Olympics in 1906 weightlifting was one of the six games in the Olympics. The essential difference between weightlifting and weight training is that the former is a standardized sport practiced widely, requiring skill as well as great strength.

Weight training is a basic form of exercise that is needed by anyone, athlete or non athlete. Now rugby players who want to develop strength and look his or her best having superior physical fitness.

Weightlifting can be seen as needs of society of different groups and individuals, participation in weightlifting is beneficially, strengthening of health, increase work ability, lengthens life. A person participating in weightlifting gains satisfactory ‘Muscle Joy” and a brighter temperament in life. It also permits the development of beautiful build, carriage and grace.

Thus a person develops harmoniously combining physical and spiritual qualities.

In weight lifting there are ten weight categories for men in competition and nine for women. Three attempts are given in the two hand snatch lift and three attempts for the two hands clan and Jerk lift and the winners are selected from best totals in each category. This gives small men and women a chance to get big.

Weightlifting and weigh training it is important to understand the difference between weightlifting and weight training which many people think is the same.

Actually the two are inseparable, because in the simplest from they consists of pulling and pushing against a graded resistance in form of a barbell (A barbell consists of a bar with discs or plates of various weight).

The essential difference between weightlifting and weight training is that the former is a standardized sport practiced widely, requiring skill as well as great strength.

Weight training is a basic form of exercise that is needed by anyone, athlete or non-athlete who wants to develop a full measure of strength to look his or her best having superior physical fitness.