On October 14, at the 43rd Kansai University Autumn Powerlifting Championships held at the University Hall on the Tsushima campus, the Weight Training Club of Okayama University achieved an impressive team victory. Additionally, 14 members of the club have secured their spots to compete in the All-Japan Student Powerlifting Championships (All-Japan Intercollegiate), which will be held in November!

This competition served as a warm-up for the All-Japan Intercollegiate, set to take place at Okayama University on November 16-17. It was also the regional qualifying event for the Kansai block, with 70 athletes from 7 universities participating. A total of 28 athletes from our club competed, and thanks to the support of seconders, assistants, and organizers, everyone showcased their abilities, resulting in the team’s victory.

The Okayama University Weight Training Club is training daily intending to win the Intercollegiate Team Championship for the second consecutive year. During the Intercollegiate Championships, not only the club members but also alumni will come together to fight as one team. Please look forward to the achievements of the Weight Training Club.

Below are comments from some of the athletes:

● KAWAHARA Miu (4th year, School of Engineering)
"This was a great start towards the Intercollegiate Championships. There is still plenty of room for improvement, both as an athlete and as a member of the team. With only a little time left before the Intercollegiate Championships, we’ll give it our all to ensure that everyone performs at their best and we can achieve a second consecutive victory!"

● OHNISHI Saki (3rd year, School of Letters)
"It was nerve-wracking to compete against athletes with higher records, but thanks to the support of my seconders and helpers, I was able to win, and I’m really happy. I will stay focused and work hard to achieve even better results at the Intercollegiate Championships."

● KAWAKAMI Shunya (2nd year, School of Economics)
"There were a lot of things that didn’t go as expected in this competition, but I’ll do my best to have a better performance at the Intercollegiate Championships."

● SUGINO Hiroki (2nd year, School of Education)
"I couldn’t perform my best, but I’m happy we won. I’ll use this experience to improve and work hard to win the Intercollegiate Championships in November."

● OHSHIRO Kanta (3rd year, Faculty of Law)
"This was my first competition, and I’m so happy to have won the 83kg weight class. I’m deeply grateful for the support from my seconders and coaches. I’ll continue to work hard to get good results at the Intercollegiate Championships in November."

● TSUBOUCHI Reo (4th year, School of Economics)
"I’m so happy to have won the 105kg+ weight class at my final Autumn Kansai competition. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my juniors and coaches. I’ll continue to give my best effort until the Intercollegiate Championships!"