BY JOHN CHRISMA
THE Solomon Islands Weightlifting Association aims to reach out its clinical coaching programmes to schools in Honiara and other provinces in the country.
Solomon Islands National Weightlifting (SIWLA) Coach, Apollos Saeg told Raw Sports that the Association is confident and keen to continue with its weightlifting coaching pathway outreach programme in provincial schools.
He said the programme aims to contribute towards the future development of the weightlifting sport in the country.
“The Association aims to improve future participants’ level of understanding on weightlifting as a sport including its rules and regulations.
“The programme is also important to scout new and aspiring young weightlifters from various schools in the country to join the sport.
“We need to roll out the programme’s objective in order to identify new weightlifters as the country looks towards the hosting of the scheduled upcoming Games Festival on July and the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara,” National Weightlifting Coach said.
Apollos said on the 25 May of this year, a team from Solomon Islands Weightlifting Association, which was led by the former Pacific Games weightlifting medallist, Wendy Bosa Hale travelled to a particular school at Gizo, Western province to conduct a weightlifting clinical coaching workshop for students.
He added that the Weightlifting Association had previously completed their visitation and a series of clinical coaching programmes to respective schools in Honiara, including the provinces of Central Islands and Malaita.
“We previously conducted similar workshops in various schools in Honiara – the Honiara based schools are the Global Academy School, Norman Palmer, Koloale, St. Nicholas College and Vura.
“In the province, the Association’s weightlifting team visited the Auki High School in Malaita and McMahon Community High School in Tulagi, Central Islands.
“The number of students’ turnout in those visited provincial schools was described as satisfactory,” Apollos Saeg said.
He said the Association aims to set up weightlifting training facilities in the nine provinces in the country, however, it is important to firstly establish weightlifting provincial associations.
“The proposed weightlifting training facilities is to allow provincial weightlifters to access training venues that are much closer to them instead of coming to Honiara.
“Now, the Association’s primary objective is to first setup provincial based weightlifting associations in Central, Malaita, Western, Guadalcanal, Isabel, Temotu, Rennell Bellona and Makira province.
“However, the proposed plans needs the strong and positive support from the government and responsible sports authority. Otherwise, the Association’s primary objective will not eventuate since quality weightlifting equipment are very expensive,” he said.
