Jamshedpur, Dec. 19: Shoby PJ of Kerala created a new national record in the 56-kg class on the opening day of the XXIV National Junior Men and IX Junior Women Powerlifting Championship at JRD Tata Sports Complex.
Joseph created a new squat record by lifting 223.5 kg and also managed another in the bench press, with a record-breaking lift of 130 kg in the 56-kg class event for men. He had a dead lift of 215 kg. The Kerala lad scored 567.5 points, way ahead of Nagavara (532.5 points) of Andhra Pradesh and M. Nagappam (517.5 points) of Tamil Nadu. Joseph shattered the old squat and bench press national records of 222.5 kg and 125.5 kg respectively.
Rajendra Kumar Bhinder of Uttaranchal emerged on top in the 52-kg class for men. He did a 202.5-kg squat, 87.5 kgon the bench press and a total dead lift of 215 kg.
Bhinder garnered 502.5 points to capture the top slot. P. Ravi Kumar and P. Sridhar of Tamil Nadu stood second and third respectively. While the former scored 502.5 points, the latter gathered 460 points.
Earlier, the championship was declared open by Arun Oraon, superintendent of police, East Singhbhum.
Senior officials of the Indian Powerlifting Federation (IPF), including secretary general Subrata Dutta and vice-presidents P.J. Joseph, Swapan Roy and Ranjit Basu were also present on the occasion.
Tata Steel sports department chief Satish Pillai delivered the welcome speech. Bailey Bodhanwala, MD, Tarapore & Company, also graced the occasion.
IPF treasurer Bijan Bhattacharjee conducted the opening ceremony.
Women’s football meet
For the first time, Tata Steel will organise an inter-district women’s football tournament here next month. Officials said the steel major was keen to organise more such tournaments.
According to officials, the forthcoming inter-district meet will be a curtain raiser to the revival of women’s soccer in the city.
Efforts would be made to make the game popular in other parts of the state, sources added.
This is being done to encourage talented women soccer players who are unable to show their prowess due to lack of tournaments.
Barring a one-day tournament, which is organised by the Jamshedpur Women’s Football Association (JWFA), no organised tournament is held in the city.
“Efforts will be made to involve Jamshedpur Sporting Association (JSA) to conduct women’s league matches,” JSA officials said.
