Dubai: Emirati heavyweight Mohammad Khalaf won a silver medal in the 97kg event, while French star Souhad Ghazhouani broke Egypt’s stranglehold at the Sixth Fazza IPC Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2015 on Tuesday.
Khalaf had a best lift of 230kg in the men’s 97kg which was won by Mohammad Eldib with a new world record mark of 241kg. Malaysia’s Jong Yie Khie took the bronze with a lift of 210kg.
Khalaf was the second to set a new world record in the Open category after Sharif Othman pushed the bar to 210kg in the 59kg event.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the event is organised and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Centre (HHC) and Dubai Club for the Disabled with the support of DSC and UAE Paralympic Committee.
Three-time medallist at the Paralympic Games Ghazhouani showed her class by almost effortlessly lifting 120, 125 and 130-kg to win gold in the 73kg event. A gold medallist in London, the 32 year-old beat Egypt’s Amany Ali who had to settle for silver after failing to lift 122kg twice. Geehan Hassan added to Egypt’s gold medal tally winning the women’s 79kg event with a best lift of 122.
The high level of organisation of the Sixth Fazza IPC Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2015 came in for praise from Su Jung Ghyu, secretary general, Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games Organising Committee.
“This Championships has really impressed me. I found everything being conducted in a professional manner and very well-supported,” said Jung Ghyu on his first visit for the Fazza Championships.
“It was not only a sporting event, but many cultural events were there for both spectators and athletes to enjoy,” said the top Korean delegate here on the invitation of Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi, executive director at the Dubai Club for the Disabled and Director of Fazza Championship for People with Disability.
Jung Ghyu also congratulated Al Usaimi on his election as head of the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) in Incheon last October. “If the UAE were to host the Asian Para Games they will hold a very good event,” said Jung Ghyu who was associated with organising the 2002 World Cup when it was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. The next Asian Para Games will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2018.
