WEIGHTLIFTING: Institute for Penang?

GEORGE TOWN: THE Pearl of the Orient will soon carry much weight as a weightlifting centre for Asia and Oceania.

A weightlifting institute, which will also act as a centre for excellence, for athletes of the sport in the two continents, is in the process of being established in Penang.

The fully equipped centre with expert trainers will provide weight and fitness training.

It will be for the various types of athletes, including field sports, racquet sports, martial arts and others, not just weightlifters.

The idea to set up the institute was mooted by Datuk Ong Poh Eng, the newly elected president of the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation.

Ong made the announcement during a press conference for the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

State sports council director Frederick Tan Teck An was also present.

Ong said Penang would be the ideal venue for the institute as it is central to many weightlifting nations in Asia and Oceania, including China, Iran and even Russia and Australia. On top of that, Penang is also a sports friendly tourism destination.

Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation (CWF) secretary general Paul Coffa said he was impressed with the idea but would not commit to the setting up of the institute as the approval has to come from the federation's executive board, of which Ong is a member.

Coffa said with China already the powerhouse of weightlifting in Asia, and Iran fast rising as a power in the sport, Penang would be an ideal choice to set up the institute.

"I will take the suggestion to the executive board and bring back the result when I come back here for the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

"But the institute will not be exclusive to weightlifters only, as athletes from other sports should have access to the facilities," said Coffa, who is also the Oceania Weightlifting Federation general secretary.

Meanwhile, Penang will create history when it hosts the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and the Masters World Cup simultaneously in November.

The championships will feature senior (above 21 years old), junior (17-21 years) and youth (13-17 years) categories for men and women while the Masters World Cup will cater for lifters between the ages of 35 and 95, also for men and women.

Ong, the Penang Weightlifting Association (PWA) president, said for the first time the master lifters will be competing alongside young lifters on the same platform.

Ong, a CWF vice-president, said Penang has the distinction of hosting the Commonwealth Championships in 2009, the Intercontinental Club Grand Prix and the Junior Commonwealth Championships simultaneously in 2010 and the 37th Men and 17th Women Junior World Championships in 2011.

"The event will further boost sports tourism in the state as master lifters will normally bring along their families, including their grandchildren, for sightseeing and shopping.

"Participants from more than 80 countries with about 1,000 people can be expected to come to Penang during the championships," said Ong.

Coffa, who visited Penang to inspect the venue and facilities, expressed confidence that the hosts will do a great job.

He said Penang has been well tested on several occasions when it hosted world-level weightlifting championships on a big scale.

There are a lot of young weightlifters already training in Penang.