Weightlifters head to Malaysia

Cook Islands weightlifters Sam Pera Jnr and Luisa Peters are on their way to Penang, Malaysia to compete in the Commonwealth Junior and Senior Championships.

The championships will run from December 10 to 16 and seconds as a 2012 London Olympic Games qualifier.

Peters, who competed in the October Commonwealth Games in Delhi, will be lifting in the women’s 75kg plus division while Pera will be lifting in the men’s 105+ division.

During the Delhi weightlifting competition – Peters set a new personal best total lift smashing her previous record by 10kg.

The 18-year-old lifted 70kg in the snatch and 85kg in the clean and jerk for a total lift of 155kg.

Pera last represented the Cooks in weightlifting at the Pacific Mini Games here on Rarotonga last year.

It was his first competition since taking an extended break from the sport and the weightlifting institute in both Samoa and New Caledonia where he had trained previously under the guidance of Paul Coffer.

At the mini games – Pera won three silver medals for a snatch lift of 172kg, clean and jerk lift of 140kg for a total lift of 312kg.

The pair have spent a couple of months training hard at the Pera family Iron Centre Gym in Nikao under the watchful eye of former national weightlifting great Sam Pera Snr.

Due to the late notice of the announcement of the tournament and financial constraints the third member of the weightlifting team Sirla Pera, is unable to attend the event although he has also been touted as a rising star in the Pacific weightlifting scene.

Pera and Peters have been able to attend the event in Malaysia thanks to the generosity of individuals and business sponsors of whom many have made anonymous donations in order to support the two young athletes in their goals of representing the Cook Islands at the London Olympics in 2012.

The Pera and weightlifting family would like to extend their gratitude to ongoing sponsors Sava Ltd, Turamatuitui Store, Tepuka Store and new sponsors Palace Takeaways, Country Fried Chicken, Kool Kebabs and everyone that’s helped with the development of weightlifting in the Cook Islands.