Weightlifting tourney this Saturday

Three-time gold medalist Antonette Labausa in the 9th Micronesian Games in Yap in action in a recent tournament. (Contributed Photo)

The CNMI Weightlifting Federation will hold its first weightlifting tournament of the year this Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Dubbed simply as the Northern Marianas Cup Weightlifting Tournament, the competition promises to have the most contestants the sports association has ever had in any of its previous tournaments.

“We have 17 participating athletes, 15 men in six weight categories and two women in two weight categories. They will all be competing as seniors (15 years and older),” according to CNMI Weightlifting Federation president John Davis.

The Northern Marianas Cup Weightlifting Tournament will be a snatch and clean and jerk competition.

The Northern Marianas Cup Weightlifting Tournament begins with a weigh-in at 9am and lifting will commence at 11am. Admission is $10 per participant.

The event will be the federation’s kickoff event of the year. Davis said the CNMI Weightlifting Federation also hopes to send Antonette Labausa and two other weightlifters to the Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Nauru.

Labausa has been training in Samoa since the beginning of this year and will train there until after the regional championship in the next couple of months.

“We hope to send a small team consisting of Antonette, Angel San Nicolas, and David Barnhouse to the Oceania [Weightlifting Championships] in April of this year.”

Labausa bagged three gold medals during the 9th Micronesian Games in Yap back in 2018, while San Nicolas brought home a bronze medal in the 10th Pacific Mini Games in Port Vila, Vanuatu in 2017. Barnhouse won a bronze in the Guam Weightlifting Open Championship in 2019.

Davis is asking the business community’s help to raise funds to send Labausa, San Nicolas, and Barnhouse to Nauru. “We could certainly use some community assistance in our effort to send these athletes to represent the CNMI,” he said.

The weightlifting federation officials also thanked Latte Built Center owner Derek Cutting for allowing them to use the facility for training.

“At this time anyone interested in being a competitive weightlifter can find lifters\athletes at Latte Built Fitness Center in Susupe. Though we are still looking, the federation still does not have a home, but at Latte Built has been very supportive,” he said.

For more information on this Saturday’s tournament and the weightlifting in general, call Davis at 789-9211.