Nigerian Powerlifter, Paul Kehinde on day three of the 9th Fazza 2018 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, broke his record set at the World Championships in Mexico, last November.
It was a supreme display by Nigeria’s Paul Kehinde who hauled up 221kg to break the men’s under-65kg world record. Kehinde had held the previous world records at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and 2017 World Championships.
Kehinde, the reigning Paralympic and world champion, attempted to go even bigger than his world record but failed at 223kg.
He was followed by Algeria’s Mexico City 2017 bronze medallist Hocine Bettir (183kg), who will be the home crowd favourite for the 2018 African Championships in Algiers, from 27-29 July.
In a chat with aclsports.com, Paul Kehinde said he had always put God first before his work.
He revealed that his personal coach, Are Feyisetan told him to believe in himself as they capacity to excel was in him.
“God is my first point of contact because he is my source of motivation and success. I put him first in everything I do. My coach Are Feyisetan and wife are people that I look up to”, he said.
Kehinde said: “This feat is for myself, team mates, coaches and Nigeria as a whole”.
In all, 128 powerlifters from 30 countries are competing at the Dubai Club For People Of Determination, at the ninth edition of an event known as the Fazza Cup.
Nigeria’s world champion and world record holder Folashade Oluwatemlayo will be one to watch in the women’s under-86kg on Thursday.
