UAE's Shanbih and Al Zeyoudi clinch four medals in Para Powerlifting World Cup

National team bag a gold, two silvers and a bronze at the Dubai Club for People of Determination

Adel Shanbih, right, celebrates his gold medal at the Fazza 12th Para Powerlifting World Cup at the Dubai Club for People of Determination on Friday, December 16, 2022. Photo: Dubai Club for People ofShow more

Adel Shanbih and Mozah Al Zeyoudi shared four medals, including a gold, between them at the Fazza 12th Para Powerlifting World Cup at the Dubai Club for People of Determination on Friday.

Shanbih won gold and bronze in the men’s 88kg division. He took first place in the total lift with an overall 554kg effort and bronze with a 188kg effort in the best lift category behind Algerian Mohammed Hadj, who took gold with a lift of 200kg.

Al Zeyoudi bagged two silvers in the women’s -55kg with a best lift of 80kg and total lift of 231kg.

“Winning a gold and bronze for the UAE in the World Cup is a very proud moment,” Shanbih said of his medal-winning efforts.

“It was a great day for us as the host nation with Mozah bringing home two silvers. Hopefully, we can add a few more medals to this tally in the next two days.”

The day also saw a few records fall with Kyrgyzstan’s Azizbek Zamirbek Uluu setting a new mark with a 128kg lift in the men’s -54kg, while Chile’s Juan Carlos Garrido Acevedo raised the bar in men’s -65kg with his final lift of 191kg.

Iran bagged golds courtesy Amir Jafari Arangeh (men’s -65kg) and Mohsen Bakhtiar (men’s -59kg) while Jordanian Omar Qarada won the men’s 49kg gold.

“I am very happy to win a gold here. I have been to every Fazza World Cup and it’s been a great experience over the years,” Qarada, a three-time Paralympic champion, said.

“I am proud to win gold for the Arab countries. It’s also nice to end the year with a gold medal.”

Brazilians Lara Aparecida de Lima and Maria Rizonaide da Silva bagged gold medals in the women’s events - best lift and total lift.

The four-day event has drawn more than 200 competitors from 40 countries as they vie for medals as well as qualification points for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.