DUBAI // Egypt led the gold rush at the Fazza IPC Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2015 on Monday with Taha Abdel Magid winning the Men’s Open 54kg event.
A bronze medallist at the Paralympic Games at London 2012, Magid, 28, struck gold in his fifth appearance at the tournament with a best lift of 172kgs.
His triumph followed gold-medal performances by Egyptian duo Zeinab Oteify and Nawal Ramadan on the opening day of the championship, being held at Dubai Club for the Disabled.
Alidou Diamoutene, 34, of Ivory Coast had to settle for silver after a failed attempt to match Magid’s effort after successfully lifting 160kgs and 165kgs. Iraq’s Hussein Juboori took bronze with a best lift of 165kgs.
Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi, executive director at the Dubai Club for the Disabled and director of the Fazza Championship for People with Disability, praised the standard of competition at this year’s event.
“Everyone who has come here wants to win. They are not here on a holiday. Every year the Fazza Championships is becoming bigger and more competitive. It is important for UAE athletes to gain exposure of international competition especially with Paralympic Games in Rio just one year away,” Al Usaimi said.
This is the fourth championship under the umbrella of the Fazza Championships for People with Disability to be held this season.
The Fazza International Championship for Boccia is due to be held next month, followed by Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Championships in May.
This event, which has attracted 133 athletes from 25 countries, concludes on Wednesday.
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