Whitford’s Yasmin Bhadha, 18, has claimed three golds and one silver for New Zealand at the IPF Commonwealth Championships and set new Commonwealth records.
It follows an outstanding effort at the National Powerlifting Championships in Palmerston North in August where she picked up gold for her weight class and sub-junior category. At that meeting she set a new New Zealand record for deadlift at 177kg and broke her own previous record of 170kg and in so doing qualified her for the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships at the Dew Drops event centre in Auckland from November 27 to December 3.
Bhadha represented New Zealand for her weight class (under 69kg) and in the sub-junior category. She performed exceptionally well at the event bagging three golds and one silver for New Zealand.
Not only did she grab the gold in her weight class but also took out the prestigious overall best sub-junior title across all weights category and set new Commonwealth records along the way.
She clinched the gold medal in deadlift and she set a new Commonwealth record at 181kg and won a gold medal in bench press and set a new Commonwealth record at 67kg.
Bhadha also took the gold in her overall weight and class category i.e. under 69kg sub-junior with 368kg points setting a new Commonwealth total record for sub-juniors.
She also won the prestigious title for the best lifter – sub-juniors at the tournament and capped it off with a silver medal for her squats at 120kg.
Her results also helped propel Team New Zealand to the No 1 position in the sub-junior category.
Her father Burzin Bhadha said, “Kudos once again to her national coach Denzil Hogan – NZ strength and conditioning coach and power lifting coach at DH Strength Systems.
“Her next goal is the IPF Junior World championships in Romania.”
Bhadha has just concluded her final year at Saint Kentigern College and is now gearing up for her first year studying engineering at the University of Auckland next year.
