The three girls and one boy from Surrey's Lion Weightlifting Club who represented Canada at the Sub Junior Pan American Weightlifting Championships (under 13 and 15 years of age) in Leon City in Guanajuato state in Mexico from August 29 to September 1 shone out by winning as many as 12 gold, silver and bronze medals. Ten countries participated in this championship.
Makhan Sandhu, who represented the team as coach, told The VOICE that in this sport three medals (one for snatch, one for clean and jerk and one for the highest total score) are awarded in each weight category.
Herman Phangura, who is the daughter of outstanding weightlifter Binder Phangura, competed in the 53 kg category in the under 13 years section, and won ALL the three gold medals: snatch, clean and jerk, and highest total score.
Amarveer Sahota, who competed in the 85 kg category in the under 15 years section, won all the three silver medals in his category. Amarveer is the son of another famous weightlifter, Raghbir Sahota.
Snimerdeep Sanghera competed in the 63 kg category in the under 13 years group and bagged all the three silver medals in her category.
Prabdeep Sanghera won one silver and two bronze medals in the 69 kg category in the under 15 years section.
Again, both Snimerdeep and Prabdeep are daughters of yet another well-known weghtlifter, Harnek Sanghera, who was also a coach for the Canadian team in this championship.
Indeed, it proved to be an excellent opportunity for the youngsters to garner experience and confidence, besides the 12 medals - three gold, seven silver and two bronze.
Makhan Sandhu told The VOICE that these great results were only possible because of the efforts of his fellow coaches Harnek, Rajinder, Raghbir and Binder. He said that senior international weightlifters and their club trainees Parm, Jasbir, Tirath, Joke and Sofia were also a great source of inspiration to their young athletes.
Just last January, the Lions Weightlifting Club won the A&R Memorial Open B.C. Weightlifting Championship in Port Alberni. Their members dazzled the spectators as they walked away with three gold medals, three silver medals and four bronze medals.
Men's section:
Gold medals: Gurpreet Dhaliwal, Rajinder Mahey and Tirath Sandhu.
Silver medals: Prabjot Bains, Gurneet Gossal and Amarveer Sahota.
Bronze medals: Gatinder Mahey, Bik Dhinsa, Suraj Virk and Harnek Sanghera.
Women's section:
Gold medals: Herman Phangura and Joke Adekola.
Silver medals: Snimerdeep Sanghera, Prabdeep Sanghera and Manroop Sanghera.
Prabdeep Sanghera, Katelynn William (Semi Weightlifting Club) and Joke Adekola were declared best weightlifters among the women in the juvenile, junior and overall categories respectively.
And just a week before this, three members of the Lions Weightlifting Club won medals at the Junior (under 20 years) National Weightlifting Championship in Montreal on January 20. They bagged a silver and two bronze medals.
Prabdeep Kaur Sanghera and Harinder Singh Mahey, who bagged gold medals for Canada in their respective categories at the Pan Am Weightlifting Championship for ages 13 to 15 at Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs, U.S., on August 18, won silver and bronze respectively.
Amrinder Sahota won bronze in the 85 kg category.
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