Five Para powerlifters benefited from competing at their first major regional Championships earlier this year as a result of their National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) receiving Competition Support Grants from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
As part of its Sports for Mobility programme, which is the product of a grant agreement with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, the IPC provided Competition Support Grants so that two Para powerlifters each from Guinea and Togo, and one from Gambia, could compete at May’s Para Powerlifting African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria. As part of World Para Powerlifting’s qualification pathway for LA28 it was mandatory that the five Para athletes competed at the regional event.
Competing in the women’s up to 55kg class, Togo’s Mazoulmani Bewi finished fifth with a best lift of 75kg, while her compatriot Kodjo Afeti D’Almeida was disqualified in the men’s up to 80kg class.
Mazoulmani Bewi said: “Although several internationally recognised Para athletes from Togo were eligible to compete in Oran, I was selected. This gave me the opportunity to compete abroad and put my training to the test. I sincerely appreciate all the efforts of the IPC, including the grants and opportunities that enable athletes to gain international competition experience.”
Kodjo Afeti D’Almeida mentioned: “I was very happy to be selected for the competition in Oran. I have always trained hard and stayed focused on my goals, so receiving the news was a proud moment for me. Being chosen as one of the top athletes from my country and meeting athletes from other countries gave me a lot of motivation. It made me realise that I belong among high-level athletes and inspired me to push myself even further. I wanted to compete alongside the best and one day become one of them.”
Gambia’s Ali Kah competed in the men’s up to 49kg but recorded no lift with any of his attempts at 68kg, 70kg and 74kg respectively. After attempting lifts of 40kg and 45kg in the women’s over 88kg class, Guinea’s Aminata Camara recorded no lift, while her teammate Mamoudou Sylla was disqualified in the men’s up to 49kg class.
In addition to supporting the five Para athletes, the IPC Competition Support Grants also meant that two coaches could attend the competition alongside their athletes.
Part of the IPC’s Sport for Mobility programme, the Competition Support Grants initiative aims to support National Paralympic Committees in providing Para athletes with access to essential classification and competition opportunities improving their chances of Paralympic Games qualification.
