Weightlifters build on strength ahead of Commonwealth Games

The National weightlifting team has intensified its training ahead of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.

Kenya will be represented by a total of 3 weightlifters who are currently in residential training at Moi International sports Centre Kasarani alongside 3 training partners bringing the total number to five.

Kenya will be represented by two male and one female weight lifters at the July 28th-8th August Games.

Those who have been in the two month camp are: Winnie Langat, Maurice Aromo, Anthony Libasia, Benjamin Osiemo, and Rachael Achieng’.

According to head coach Douglas Locho the squad is currently concentrating on strength ahead of the games.

‘’So far our training has been good and we are building on strength and working on the speed and try and rectify our mistakes. We don’t have any injury or any problem and we are just concentrating on techniques’’, remarked  Locho.

Locho is being assisted by James Adede who represented Kenya in the discipline at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro,  Brazil.

17-year old Rachael Achieng who will participate in the 64kg category revealed her target at the games saying the two month camp thus far has helped her improve on the weights.

‘’The training has been very helpful to me since I have added to my total right now am snatching 70kg and jerking 80kg from snatching 65 kg and jerking 75kg, this has also improved me mentally as well as the  skills’’, said Rachael.

She added; ‘’ at the commonwealth games am targeting to snatch 80kg and jerk 90kg’’

Achieng’ boasts of a bronze medal she won at at the 2019 Africa Senior Weightlifting Championships in Nairobi, and also took part in African Games in Rabat the same year.

Rachael emerged as a youngster when at age 11, she won three gold medals during the 2017 Africa Youth and Junior Championships in Entebbe, Uganda.

All Africa Games triple Silver Medalist Winny Langat has expressed her desire of improving ahead of the games.

“Our expectations as I train is to lift more and add some kilograms in clean and jerk. Eventually, the goal is to improve my performance,” said Winny.