Maltese weightlifter launched a crowdfunding campaign to help her get to the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
September 01, 2018 | 02:08 |367
Malta’s weightlifting queen, holder of national records among women in the 63 kg category Yazmin Zammit Stevens will take part at the 2018 IWF World Championships, which will be held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, from October 28 to November 10. Due to the limited funding of weightlifting, especially for women, in Malta where this sport has only started becoming popular in the last few years, Maltese weightlifter launched her crowdfunding campaign to help her get to the 2018 World Championships in Turkmenistan. She managed to secure even more than expected total amount, so she will be able to perform at the World University Weightlifting Championship in Poland on September 23 and to take her training session in Italy this October. “Thank you thank you thank you! MILLION TIMES THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”, Yazmin thanked her volunteer sponsors on her crowdfunding campaign page.Altyn ASHYROVA
Last year, Zammit Stevens competed in some of the most demanding and arduous competitions in the world, broke over 20 national records and won individual 2 gold and 1 bronze medals at an International Tournament Vladan Mihajlovic Memorial in Serbia. She was the first Maltese female weightlifter to compete at the European Championships, finishing 15th overall. She was 19th overall at the World Universiade in Taipei. In addition, she even managed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast – one of just 13 athletes from all commonwealth nations – where she placed 7th overall. However, she is eyeing an even bigger goal now: taking a place on a pedestal in Ashgabat and competing in the weightlifting tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“The Olympics are the greatest multi-sport games an athlete can dream of participating in. They are also one of the toughest Games to qualify for. Nevertheless, I am confident that I will be able to achieve high results in the qualifying tournaments,” Yazmin declares.
