Weightlifting makes a return to Bendigo

HE’S competed on the international and national stage for well over a decade, but never once did weightlifter Troy Hewkins get to contest and event in his home town of Bendigo.

While he won’t get that chance on Saturday, the former Commonwealth Games prospect couldn’t be more rapt to see Bendigo hosting its first Victorian Weightlifting Association (VWA) sanctioned event in at least 30 years.

Hewkins will still have a major role to play, when the event gets underway at The Human Mechanics gym in Epsom at 11am.

He will guide the hopes of a group of athletes from the newly-formed Bendigo Weightlifting Club, among them 19-year-old Annabelle Harwood, who is expected to dominate the women’s competition.

About 35 male and female lifters will contest the event, which Hewkins is confident won’t be the last in Bendigo for another 30 years.

“The Victorian Weightlifting Association has been really great in helping us set this up,” he said.

“They are trying hard to get more exposure in regional areas – most of their competitions are held in Melbourne in their main stadium at Hawthorn.

“I’ve been there countless times – even when I lived in Brisbane we competed down there, but never in the country.”

About half of the competitors will be from Bendigo or other parts of central Victoria.

Hewkins was anticipating good performances from the girlfriend-boyfriend combination of Harwood and Nathan Stradling.

“On paper it looks like Annabelle, who is still a junior, will be by far the best female lifter there, but she still has to perform on the day,” he said.

“There’s actually more women competing than men.

“In the men’s, it will be a little bit more novice. It will be Nathan’s first event, but he looks like taking out one of the top male spots if he can do what I think he can.

“He’s focused a lot on his training this year and has come a long way in a short time, but he will be up against a real competitive field in his category.”

Harwood, who has already represented Australia at the World Youth Championships in 2016, still has one year of eligibility in the junior ranks.

Hewkins said her goal in 2019 would be to qualify for the world junior championships.

Hewkins, who narrowly missed a spot on the Australian team at this year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, praised the involvement of Arj Perera, from The Human Mechanics, and Bendigo weightlifting identity Martin Leach for getting the event up and running.

Leach, a former national and international weightlifting representative, was one of the team leaders and coaches of the Australia’s Commonwealth Games team.