Yousefi Wins Silver in Asia-Oceania Para Championships in Japan

Para powerlifter Yousef Yousefi won silver in the 2018 Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, on Sunday.

In the men’s under 59kg category, Yousefi lifted 182kg in the first attempt but failed to handle the 185kg barbell in the next two moves. The 30-year-old athlete grabbed the silver medal, Mehr News Agency reported.

Qi Yongkai of China took gold and broke the junior world record by lifting 188kg. Juan Garrido from Chile and China’s Jinglang Yang jointly took bronze.

On Saturday, the first day of the event, Alireza Izadi, in men’s under 49kg category, broke the junior world and Asia record by lifting 140kg. He snatched the gold medal in junior’s section and bronze medal in open section, competing against senior lifters. The 2018 Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championships will run through September 12. It is the qualification path for all Asian and Oceanian para powerlifters striving to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.