Familiar faces pull their weight at nationals championships

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Gold-medal winners from the 2004 National Games were out in force on the second day of the National Weightlifting and Powerlifting Championships on Monday as one national mark fell.

Sinta Darmariani of Bali, one of the National Games gold medalists, broke her own national record on the way to winning three gold medals in the women's 75-kg class at the Education and Training Center of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.

Sinta increased her clean and jerk national record from 123 kg to 130 kg. Her other golds came with a snatch lift of 98 kg and a total lift of 228 kg.

In the men's 77-kg division, Sandow Nasution of West Java, who won gold in the 2004 National Games and the 2005 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games that ended in December, also took three golds with a lift of 136 kg in snatch, 170 kg in clean and jerk and 306 kg in total lift.

"This proves that I am always ready to compete. I hope I will be able to win more golds, including the Asian Games. I really want to go there, so please pray for me," he said of next year's Asiad in Qatar.

In the men's 85-kg division, 2004 National Games gold medalist Yudi Suhartono of Aceh won his class easily with 130 kg in snatch, 180 kg in clean and jerk and 310 kg in total lift.

Yudi, however, has no thoughts about taking on the top lifters from China and Korea in the Asian Games.

"Sometimes, we have to realize that we aren't capable of competing at the Asian level," he said.

Tarso, another winner in the 2004 National Games, was also too strong for his opponents in the men's 94-kg division, with lifts of 146 kg in the snatch, 170 kg in clean and jerk and 316g total to bring home three golds.

"This division is mine. Although in the 2004 National Games I competed in the 105-kg division, my heart is always in the 94-kg division."

In the men's 105-kg division, Bayu Apriliawan of Lampung, who competed in the 94-kg division in the SEA Games but failed to medal, proved he was still number one at the national level.

His snatch of 140 kg and a clean and jerk of 177 kg gave him a total of 317 kg to win three golds for his province.

In the men's above 105-kg division, Dedi Apriyanto seized the opportunity from the absence of National Games champion Renaldi Syainal of South Sulawesi to win two golds, in clean and jerk with 183 kg and a total lift of 323 kg.

Sunaryo of Jambi prevented him from sweeping the golds in the division with a winning lift of 142 kg in snatch.

The other two champions on the second day of the championship were Beti Feriyani of Lampung in the women's 69-kg division and Novianti of Lampung in women's above 75-kg division.

Beti recorded a snatch of 91 kg and clean and jerk of 111 kg for a 202 kg total, while Novianti lifted 92 kg in snatch, 111 kg in clean and jerk for 203 kg total.