BWLA

BWLA NEWS - 27th September 2009

This news bulletin covers the follow:

• Merger of BWLA and WCL
• Contact Details of BWLA office
• BWLA Annual General Meeting - New President Louis Martin (pictured left)
• 2010 Commonwealth Games (Weightlifting)  

Merger of BWLA and WCL

World Class Lifting (“WCL”) this week completed the move to become a wholly owned subsidiary of lifting’s national governing body, the British Weight Lifters’ Association (“BWLA”).  Late in 2006, WCL was established to develop and deliver a world class programme for Olympic Weightlifting in the build up to the games in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.  In April 2008, WCL also took on responsibility for the Paralympic Power Lifting’s world class programme.Commenting WCL Chair Jonathan Fuller said, “I am delighted that the two organisations have now officially come together.  WCL was established with the clear target of maximizing British lifting success at Olympic and Paralympic Games and major World and European championships, but could never achieve this in isolation.  WCL is dependent upon BWLA increasing the number of participants and clubs and raising the profile of the sports.  “Under our Performance Manager Fiona Lothian, WCL has grown rapidly over the last few months since we opened our offices and high performance centre at Leeds Metropolitan University.  Thanks to the National Lottery funding received through UK Sport we now have first class training facilities, two highly respected coaches in Tamas Feher (Olympic Weightlifting) and Nicola Vaughan-Ellis (Paralympic Power Lifting) and a full complement of support staff.  It now makes eminent sense for BWLA and us to seek economies of scale through sharing facilities and office staff.  We look forward to continuing and developing a close working relationship with BWLA’s staff under Chief Executive Steve Cannon and supporting BWLA’s activities whenever practical.”WCL’s objectives and responsibilities remain unaltered by becoming a subsidiary of BWLA and will be represented on the BWLA Board by Jonathan Fuller and Finance Director Mark Martin, who is also to become Finance Director for BWLA.Commenting on the move Bill Barton, Chair of BWLA, said, “In the two years since Mike Heath and Neil Binder joined the BWLA Board they have worked hard to ensure that the BWLA achieve the standards of quality demanded by UK Sport. At the same time they have greatly improved the relationship between the BWLA and UK Sport.Thanks also to them and the Board of WCL for developing closer ties which has now led to the two organisations coming together and I feel this will be of great satisfaction to UK Sport.As BWLA Chairman and a BWLA member for more than 50 years it gives me a great deal of pleasure knowing that, as the BWLA heads into 2010 and its centenary year, it is still the Governing Body for weightlifting in the UK.” 

CONTACT DETAILS OF BWLA OFFICE

From this week; 28th Septmber 2009, the BWLA offices are relocated to Leeds with World Class Lifting; and Joyce Marufu will take full responsibility for administration services. The new address is:

BWLA, 110 Cavendish, Leeds Metropolitan University, Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QS.
Telephone Number:   01138127098. The email for Joyce at present is  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . A BWLA email address for Joyce will be set up soon. In addition to a fax number.

BWLA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The BWLA Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday, 26th September 2009 at the BWLA Offices, 110 Cavendish Hall, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, LS6 3QS. The Annual General Meeting elected Louis Martin MBE as President of BWLA. Louis was an outstanding weightlifting competitor from the late 1950's to the early 1970's. During this time, Louis was four World Championship titles 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1965. Louis won silver at the 1964 Olympic Games and bronze at the 1968 Olympic Games, as well a competing in three Commonwealth Games (1962 - 1970). Louis will be a great asset to the BWLA as we enter our Centenary Year in 2010 and prepare for the Olympic Games in 2012.

The Annual General Meeting approved the BWLA Annual Report and Accounts for 2008 - 2009. Mike Heath and Neil Binder were elected Vice Presidents, and Jonathan Fuller, Mark Martin, Phil Young, Louise Pennell and Steve Cannon were elected Directors of the Board. The meeting also approved minor ammendments to the Articles of the Association. 

 COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2010

The English Committee of the BWLA are pleased to announce the appointment of Maggie Lynes as the Weightlifting Team Manager for the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in October 2010 in Delhi, India. Maggie was a competitor in the early 1990's winning silver medal at the 1990 European Senior Championships, and gold in the European Union 1990 and bronze in the European Union 1992. Maggie competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and was appointed Coach for the 2006 Games in Melbourne. She served as Team Manager at the Commonwealth Youth Games in India in 2008, where Zoe Smith won the gold medal.

The English Committee will meet on the 27th October where the the Qualification Procedure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the Staff members of the Weightlifting Team will be announced. 

 ^{EUROPEAN YOUTH (U17) CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009}

 

This competition was held 06 – 13 September 2009 in Eilat, Israel. Results are:

Lifter	B/Wt	Snatch			Clean & Jerk			Total	Place
		1	2	3	1	2	3
Hannah Powell	44	48	51	52	67	67	67	---	---
Zoe Smith	58	73	73	77	90	93	96	166	5th
Dylan Scott	56	80	85	85	100	104	105	185	15th
Shamsher Shergill	56	65	68	70	95	100	100	165	17th
Craig Carfray	62	83	83	87	197	112	115	202	8th
Sonny Webster	69	92	95	95	110	114	115	207	18th
Dale Cree	77	95	98	101	114	118	120	218	16th
Michael Sheard	77	90	95	95	110	115	120	215	17th
Joshua Fargharly	85	110	113	113	133	133	133	---	---