Lottery lifts youngsters to top level

Thursday 3 August 2000

Scottish weightlifting reached new heights today with the announcement that Lottery funding is to help launch the first ever Junior Development Programme for their sport.

The Scottish Amateur Weightlifting Association is to receive an award of £17,831 from sportscotland Lottery Fund towards the costs of the programme, which will be run by five qualified coaches, and will include squad training, sports science and travel to and from British and international competitive events.

Involving 16 boys and girls, the programme will be based in Easterhouse, where many of the young athletes live, and which has produced many of Scotland’s current national weightlifting squad who were first introduced to the sport through a local club.

“What has happened in Easterhouse is an inspiring example of the key role sport can play in giving young people a positive focus ..."

The club grew out of a desire by local weightlifter and now National Coach, Alex Richardson, to help local youngsters and in the early years they trained in a tenement stairwell with their equipment stored in a coal bunker.

Now, with their own premises in Easterhouse Community Centre, the young athletes will have access not only to top class coaching but also to medical support, and will take part in competitions in Britain and Greece.  The long term aims are to achieve more places for Scottish athletes in British Squads and ultimately raise the standard of senior as well as junior squads.

National Weightlifting Coach, Alex Richardson, was delighted with the news, commenting:  "This award fills an important funding gap in the development of the sport of weightlifting in Scotland.  For the first time we have a Junior Development Programme in place to make sure that we retain the talent coming up from grassroots level, and create the next generation of weightlifters of British and international standard.

"Weightlifting has many benefits for young people, especially in an area like Easterhouse, benefits which I have seen work in practice, including increased self esteem and the provision of an alternative to the temptations of drugs and crime."

"Many of the youngsters on the programme at the moment are from Easterhouse, which is why we will base the programme here, and the community of Easterhouse has also played a significant role in the development of weightlifting in recent times.  With initiatives such as the five stage development programme, ‘Gladiator to Weightlifter’, standards have been improved and popularity increased throughout Scotland."

Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said:  "What has happened in Easterhouse is an inspiring example of the key role sport can play in giving young people a positive focus and in generating a real sense of community pride and involvement.

"Since the introduction of lottery funding, sportscotland has been able to play its part in pioneering a number of new initiatives aimed at getting more youngsters involved in sport and, just as importantly, at keeping them involved.

"However, if we are to begin to reverse Scotland’s appalling health record, sport must become a higher national priority and additional sources of funding found."
 
Councillor Jim Coleman, Chairman, Greater Easterhouse Partnership, said:  "The partnership has supported the Gladiator to Weightlifter project over the last two years and has been immensely proud of the achievements of our champion weightlifters.  Sport plays a vital part in the Partnership’s regeneration programme by providing positive opportunities for young people and I welcome this additional sportscotland investment."

George A Hunter OBE, Chairman of the Board of Governors for Sports Aid Foundation, commented:  "The Sports Aid Foundation has contributed £3,900 to date towards the development of weightlifting.  We have been very happy to support this worthwhile initiative and the athletes involved and hope to continue to do so in the future."

• sportscotland Lottery Fund already supports Scotland’s top international weightlifters, such as Thomas Neil and Marc Ferns, through its Talented Athlete Programme.  This new support for weightlifting at junior level will provide a further boost to the growth of the sport and help to smooth the pathway from recreational sport to international success.
• Five of the young athletes on the programme will compete in the first ever Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games, being held in Edinburgh next week (10-13 August).