PNG women powerlifters win four gold

Sports

PAPUA New Guinea won four gold, one silver and one bronze in women’s powerlifting on the first half of day one of the competition at the Pacific Games in Apia yesterday.
PNG took gold in 47kg, 52kg, 57kg and 63kg divisions, silver in the 52kg and bronze in the 47kg.
Neville Benson took home gold in the 47kg division, bettering her result in the same event in Port Moresby four years ago.
She lifted 90kg in the squat, 45kg bench press and 107.5kg in the deadlift, beating Nauruan Ashly Detabouw’s 232.5kg by 10kg.
“I’m so proud of myself and I’m thankful to all my supporters and families out there, if it weren’t for them, this wouldn’t have happened,” Benson said.
Detabouw, however, set a new Oceania record in the squat at 92.5kg, but only managed 35kg in the bench and 105kg in the deadlift.
Gold in the 52kg division was won by PNG’s Dobi Konio Morea, achieving 145kg, 60kg and 140kg in the squat, bench press and deadlift respectively, totaling 345kg.
Silver was taken by PNG’s Samantha Gware of PNG with 330kg, and bronze to Nauru’s Verana Olsson.
“It’s such a relief to win a medal for my country,” Morea said.
PNG’s Belinda Umang powered home with 150kg squat, 71.5kg bench press and 165kg deadlift to take gold in the 57kg division.
“I’m so happy and I can’t wait to get home to show my family this medal because they are the ones who made this possible,” she said.
Tahiti’s Sandra Pratz took silver and bronze went to New Caledonia’s Shannon Maboumda.
Dika Gahutu rounded off PNG’s gold-medal haul with a 190kg, 67.5kg and 160kg respectively in the 63kg division. She was feeling proud of her performance.
“Thank God for the strength and thanks to my family who made me perform well today,” Gahutu said.
Silver and bronze went to Tahiti’s Heilani Sao Yao and Fiji’s Sainimere Likuselala Abariga. All the gold medallists were of small stature but big of heart and expressed how proud they were of their team.