Mario Mifsud Crowned World Champion

On the 14th of November Mario Mifsud proved his dominance not only of drug-free Powerlifting in Malta, but of the whole World. Lifting in the -125kg category, Mifsud also broke the World Deadllift record with an incredible 325kg lift, to the roaring cheers of his team mates and a packed conference hall at the Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes. On the way to his championship 742.5kg total, he also squatted 240 and benched 177.5kgs, proving he is among the very strongest drug-free athletes on the planet. Mifsud won his category ahead of


Fellow Heavy Metal lifters Emanuel Schembri (below) and Mariel Incorvaja did not dissapoint. Schembri demonstrated some of his usual world class squatting. He broke the -110kg Junior world record with his 241kg squat. He went on to total 605kgs to place 7th in the -110kg class. His category was won by Swiss lifter Roland Gongarad. Incorvaja set three new world records in the women's -90 M1 category with her 90/57.5/140 performance.


Daniel Debono (below) placed 8th in the 67.5kg category with the highlight of his day being his attempt at the Junior Deadlift record with his 211kg pull. It only got as far as his knees but he is close. With another year left in the Junior category he has his sights set on the record books next year. Stuart Ford from Britain won that category with a phenomenal 567.5kg total.


Malta's largest representation was in the 75kg class. Sadly Charles Degiorgio bombed out of the competition with three attempts at 177.5kgs in the squat that failed to hit the right depth. He will be fighting back next season to make his mark. Edward Attard squatted and benched true to form with lifts of 150 and 117.5 respectively, however also bombed out with three unsuccussful deadlift attempts at 160kgs.


Kurt Bullock and Sean Galea (above) posted respectable performances with totals of 462.5 and 470 respectively. Galea placed 8th with Bullock in 9th. Both lifters have lifted more in the past so they should be hitting some bigger numbers again soon with this additional valuable experience under their belt. British lifter Mark Fleming eventually won the 75kg category convincingly with his World Record 612.5kg total.


Kris Mintoff (above) and Matthew Muscat Inglott both lifted in the 82.5kg category. Mintoff registered an excellent performance in his first ever international appearance by placing 6th with a 530kg total. Malta's number two lifter Muscat Inglott lifted a little under par by failing to achieve his previous bests in this category, and had to be content with 5th place and a 547.5kg total. Paul Mccaffrey from Britain went on to take the 82.5kg category overall with a 630kg total.



MDFPA President Nikolai Borg (below) was the head of the delegation and also performed international refereeing duties at the championships. This was the largest ever contingent to represent Malta in international powerlifting.
Mario Mifsud's 325kg World Record Deadlift can be viewed here. Mario also appeared on TVM last week in an interview that can be viewed here.

August Test - Dazzling New Heights

Bertu's gym were magnificent hosts last Sunday to the MDFPA August test and qualification tournament for the World Single-Event Championships in Bradford, UK, this coming September. Some mind-blowing lifting from all concerned proved how the standard of Maltese powerlifting is rocketing skywards. It can now be said, that earning a spot in the top ten national rankings is truly a great honour. The top local powerlifters have been working hard in the gym, as our local contests now consistently feature world-class performances.


Mariel Incorvaja continued to establish herself as Malta's premier female lifter by clearing 85/55/130 with ease in the 80kg category. Sean Galea (above) and Chris Schinas sadly didn't have the best of days, both failing to achieve a Total. Nursing a groin injury Schinas opted out of squats. He went on to Bench 90kgs and Deadlift 170kgs for a qualifying standard at the World Singles. Galea registered an opening Squat of 162.5kgs, but raised his white flag in surrender thereafter.


The ripped-to-shreds Andrew Farrugia (above) made a presence at the event with some specialist Benching, taking time out from his track training as a 100m sprinter. Weighing in at a trim 63kgs he went on to break Sean Galea's National Record in the 67.5kg category with a 112.5kg press. He turned up believing he could break the record, and that's exactly what he did. With some modifications to his technique, who knows what this lightweight Bencher can conjure in the future.


Antoine Pace stepped onto the platform for the first time ever. Lifting out of the Zurrieq Powerlifting Club, he raised 105/85/120 in the 75kg class for 211 points, which means he hasn't quite made it onto the top twenty rankings, but no doubt he is bitten by the iron bug and will be upping his game on his next appearance. Another impressive newcomer, Josef Spiteri (above) has been vigilantly preparing for his first ever appearance under the watchful eye of Charles Degiorgio down at Fitness Planet. Degiorgio now has a reputation for preparing and entering fine quality lifters onto the local scene, showing his coaching skills are second to none. Spiteri set a National Record on his first ever appearance, out-benching Matthew Muscat Inglott in the 100kg class with a smooth 152.5kg lift. He is now ranked number 11, just about missing out on a coveted top ten spot.


Newcomer Kristian Mintoff (above) lifting on home ground out of Bertu's gym itself turned a few heads with a fantastic debut on the local Powerlifting platform. He was lifting in the 82.5kg class and easily handled a 170/115/215 which means he swoops into the Rankings already earning a top ten spot. He is now ranked eight, and all eyes are on this powerful new lifter to make some noise in the 82.5kg class. A trimmed down and well-conditioned Aleksander Dolgopolyk (below) registered a fine performance in the 75kg category clinching fifth place overall. He lifted 180/122.5/195 for a final total of 497.5; very respectable for a first performance in this class. He is now ranked 6th Nationally.


Emanuel Schembri (below) dazzled all with a National Record 235kg Squat in the 125kg class, determined to keep his name on the list with the hulking Mario Mifsud having such a strong presence in that category. He proceeded to Bench 155kgs and Deadlift 250kgs for a final Total of 640kgs. His final points tally means he jumps up the rankings into fourth place, finally overtaking Sean Galea.


In third place the highly polished Charles Degiorgio (below) registered the performance of a lifetime. He annihilated Matthew Muscat Inglott's Squat record in the 75kg class with an incredible 190kg lift. Looking much more comfortable in this weight class after moving up from the 67's he went on to break his own National Record in the Bench with a 125kg press. He Deadlifted 205kgs leaving him with a little work before he catches up with Muscat Inglott's 235kg heave in Belgium last year which remains the 75kg National Deadlift Record. He did manage to equal the Total record in the 75kg class of 520kgs, which means he should have his name elsewhere on the Record list in the near future.


Matthew Muscat Inglott (below) lifted his way to second overall on points. He weighed in a tad over 90kgs in order to challenge for the 100kg class records previously belonging to Marvin Cilia. He began his record breaking run with a convincing 212.5kg Squat. He had to be content with his second attempt bench press of 142.5kgs, while going on to Deadlift a token 250kgs to secure a second National record, and also a third and final record of the day with a 605kgs total. He now holds an overall tally of 13 National Records in four separate weight classes, all set within a year of each other. In order to mount a credible assault at a World title in November in the 90kg class, Malta's number two needs a little work on his bench and Deadlift, while his Squat appears to be moving forwards in the right direction.


Malta's strongest man Mario Mifsud (below) stole the show in usual bar-bending style. Lifting in the 125kg class he equaled the National Squat record with his successful attempt at 235kgs and smashed his own Bench Press record with an awe-inspiring 190kg press. The best was yet to come however as he went on to Deadlift an earth-shattering top quality pull of 310kgs, just 10kgs shy of the open World Record which currently rests in British hands. Mario is still first in line as most likely to set an open World record for Malta. His final Total of 735kgs was also a new National Record, and lifting at such heights he is in with a real chance of walking away with a World title at the full powerlifting World's in Milton Keynes this coming November, showing he is still Malta's premier Powerlifter, and possibly one of the greatest athletes ever to represent Malta in the international sporting arena.


Nikolai Borg, Adelia Saliba and Adrian Debattista also did a fine job refereeing with some good calls. A huge thanks goes out to Bertu's Gym and all the staff there who helped to make the lifter's day a pleasant one.

Afternoon of Heavy Metal

We interrupted Malta's strongest men at Mario Mifsud's Heavy Metal gym in Birkirkara to officially present the award for Malta's strongest team. Mario Mifsud, Emanuel Schembri and Lawrence Ransley cleaned up at the Malta Team Championships in March by obliterating teams from Zebbug, Sliema and Zurrieq with a whopping combined total of 1902.5kgs.


Mifsud and Schembri were busy benching some heavy metal in preparation for the next hot ticket on the Powerlifting calendar; the 2009 World Powerlifting Championships in Milton Keynes, UK, this November. Mifsud will be challenging for the 125kg open title, while Schembri hopes to get his name onto the international record books once again in the Junior 110kg category.

MDFPA rocks Dusseldorf

The MDFPA made a presence in Dusseldorf last weekend as Matthew Muscat Inglott and Chris Schinas answered the GDFPF's invitation by supplying some quality guest lifting at the German National Championships.


Chris Schinas got some valuable experience in competing at an international event. He started out a little shakey in the squat, registering his first attempt at 112.5kgs (above) but failing to hit the correct depth in his 2nd and 3rd attempts with 117.5kgs.


He quickly made up for it over the remainder of the competition however by breaking his personal bests in the Bench Press and Deadlift (above) with lifts of 90kgs and 170kgs respectively.


Matthew Muscat Inglott set three new national records in the 90kg category with a 205kg Squat (above) and 145kg Bench Press (below).


He nearly made it four with his final Deadlift attempt at 257.5kgs (below). After locking out he failed to hang onto the bar until the referee's "down" signal as his left hand slipped open sending the bar crashing back down to the platform.


The two local lifters were accompanied by German-speaking Simon Xuereb who kindly took care of all communication requirements throughout the trip and also proved to be quite handy with his camera! The trio headed off to Cologne after the competition to let off some steam.


Guest lifters from England and Belgium also turned out in force at the event. The MDFPA extends its thanks to Mariyana Marinova and all our fellow German lifters!

The official results have been published on the GDFPF website at http://gdfpf.de.tl/Results.htm

Judgement Day: 2009 National Championships

Lija residents must have thought an earthquake erupted last Saturday as Malta's strongest descended on the University Residence to move some serious metal. The 2009 National Championships were a true spectacle of power.


The day kicked off with the B group lifting in the morning. Two athletes dropped out of the group due to illness leaving Elton Caruana, Jean Luc Micallef, Chris Schinas and Edward Attard to fight it out. Edward Attard proved the dominant lifter of the session with some polished deadlifting culminating in a new personal record of 180kgs. He totaled 437.5kgs for 301 points. He is now just one place shy of the top ten nationally ranked powerlifters. On his tail was Chris Schinas, a determined 67.5kg lifter who has been steadily climbing the ranks in the lead up to this event. He crept up the rankings to 15th place with his new personal record of 265 points.

Jean Luc Micallef impressed with his squat as always, registering a 132.5kg lift in the 67.5kg category. 75Kg class lifter Elton Caruana looked highly promising at the start with a 150kg opener on the squat. The weight was no problem, but he was red lighted for moving his feet after the start signal. Unfortunately he ended up bombing out of the competition but could have been a force to be reckoned with. Mariel Incorvaja is now Malta's premier female lifter with her performance of 265kgs in total.


The stage was set for a first class show in the evening as the A group lifters stepped onto the platform. All the top names were there, and the crowd showed it's appreciation for some top quality lifting. WDFPF President Wim Backelant was on hand throughout to supervise the event. This was Mr and Mrs Backelant's second visit to Malta since the inception of the MDFPA.


Kurt Bullock (above) celebrated his first major competition as a Junior lifter with a National Title in the 75kg class, elbowing Edward Attard into 2nd place. Bullock already has ample experience under his belt and looks set to set the platform alight in the near future if he keeps on improving the way he has been. He lifted a flawless total of 470kgs to register 315 points. This places Bullock 7th in the rankings.


Emanuel Schembri (above) did well to make weight for the 110kg category and lifted true to form with some great squatting, equaling Mario Mifsud's National Record of 230kgs. His total of 602.5kgs secured him the National Title in his weight class. The big man has his sights set on breaking his own junior world single lift record in the 125kg class squat again this year.


The much anticipated face off for the 67.5kg category between Charles Degiorgio (below) and Sean Galea (above) did not dissapoint. The two lifters have be jostling for the 67.5kg records for some time now, each holding 2 records each. Degiorgio holds the Squat and Total, while Galea holds the Bench and Deadlift. They were neck and neck after the squat, but Degiorgio etched ahead during the Bench Press, leaving Galea unable to pick up his 2nd and 3rd attempts at 200kgs in the Deadlift. No records were broken, but Degiorgio lifted the title and did well to claim 3rd place overall, as well as defend his spot at number 3 in the National Rankings. He dedicated this great performance to his newborn son Nathan.


In second place overall and lifting the title of National Champion in the 90kg category, Matthew Muscat Inglott (below) made his larger than life appearance, exactly 12kgs heavier than he was at the February test in Zurrieq 9 weeks ago where he competed in the 75kg category. He established a new 90kg category National Record in the Squat with a 202.5kg lift, as well as new Deadlift and Total records of 255kgs and 590kgs respectively, finishing the competition with 354points. Muscat Inglott will also be guest lifting at the German National Championships next month in Dusseldorf.


Mario Mifsud (below) was once again crowned king of local powerlifting, once again affirming his rank at number one. The hulking prodigy from Heavy Metal club in Birkirkara delivered a breath-taking performance, culminated in a truly world class 300kg deadlift. Egged on by the crowd, he made a valiant attempt at the open world record of 310.5kgs, but fell just short, just about clearing his knees. No doubt he will nail it soon and achieve Malta's first open world record.


Daniel Debono and Alexsandr Dolgopolyk sadly bombed out, highlighting the importance of good tactics in powerlifting competition.


The event was sponsored by the PRELUNA HOTEL, SIMON'S BAR at the ZURRIEQ FOOTBALL CLUB, EXOTIQUE, and SALON 15 in Sliema. A special thanks goes out to Mr and Mrs Backelant, Charles Degiorgio, Luke Zahra, Edward Attard, Daniel Debono and Ilona Krista Dougal for their assistance.

One Week to Showdown!

We are now a week away from the event of the year! The programme for the championships currently looks as follows:

1000-1200: Weigh in ALL ATHLETES
1200: Lift off B group
1700: Lift off A group
Immediately after lifting ends:DRUG TESTING
2000: PRESENTATION of RAFFLE and CATEGORY/OVERALL WINNERS
2230: ALMIGHTY PISS-UP!!

The groups will be divided as follows:

A GROUP:
Mario Mifsud
Matthew Muscat Inglott
Charles Degiorgio
Sean Galea
Emanuel Schembri
Alexsander Dolgopolyk
Daniel Debono
Kurt Bullock

B GROUP:
Marvin Cilia
Edward Attard
George Bonanno
Chris Schinas
Jean Luc Micallef
Adrian Debattista
Mariel Incorvaja
Josephine DeMaria Casabene

Check back throughout the week for updates!

Malta National Championships; One Hot Ticket!

Attention all lifters: The National Championships are less than a month away!

The sport of Powerlifting has grown enormously over the past year and this years Championships look set to reflect this. We expect a great show and a healthy mix of experienced as well as new lifters. Bring along all your friends for an action-packed day of muscle and might!

This years Nationals will be held on Saturday April 11 at the Malta University Residence in Lija.


WDFPF President Wim Backelant will again be in attendance to supervise the event.

All lifters will be required to pay the annual MDFPA membership fee of 10 Euro, as well as a drug testing fee of 18 Euro. The National Championships are the cornerstone of our annual calendar, so drug testing will be carried out and equipment rules must be followed to bring the MDFPA in full compliance with the WDFPF.

Please be aware ALL LIFTERS MUST WEAR A SINGLET. This new rule will be brought into effect as from this national championship series. Also please be aware of the following equipment rules:

A T-Shirt must be worn beneath the singlet for the SQUAT and BENCH PRESS. Knee-high socks must be worn for the DEADLIFT. NO SUPPORTIVE EQUIPMENT other than a LIFTING BELT and WRIST WRAPS may be worn. No other equipment may be worn. Bandages around the knees or elbows are strictly forbidden.

All lifters planning to compete please email us at maltapowerlifting@gmail.com providing your full name and body weight.

Please download and fill in the APPLICATION FORM and bring it with you on the day of the championships along with your 28 Euro membership and drug testing fees.

We are anticipating a two-phased event with the tentative schedule looking as follows:

1100: Weighing-in 'B GROUP'
1200: Lift-off 'B GROUP'

1500: Weight-in 'A GROUP'
1700: Lift-off 'A GROUP'

Please check back here regularly for updates and developments!