Weightlifting Fiji has begun a new schools programme, reaching out to 10 schools with four showing interests so far.

Head Coach Henry Elder says teachers from the schools will undergo training to help develop weightlifting at grassroots level.

“Well, we’ve just recently started a schools programme and we’ve had a few schools who attended a coaching certification. So as part of our development programme in the schools, we had notified 10 schools of our intention of starting up weightlifting in them, in their schools, and they were to send teachers. So we had response from four.”

“So those four schools, we’ve sent equipment to them. And the deal was they had to have somebody who was certified because we’re always concerned about safety. And obviously, there’s a lot of issues that can be raised, you know, if you have people who are not qualified.”

The four schools will compete in a power clean event at next weekend’s Fiji Day competition, alongside Weightlifting Fiji’s senior and elite athletes.

“So the schools are Navosa Central College who sent four teachers, Levuka Public School sent one, one from St. John’s College, Cawaci, Gospel High also sent one as well as Lomary.”

“So those schools, they will be participating in a competition next week, a power clean competition. We have the Fiji day competition on Saturday next week. And so we’ll have our senior athletes, our elite athletes compete first. And they will then straight after that assist because they were all certified too as coaches.”