On October 22, Okayama University's Weight Training Club participated in the "42nd Kansai Student Autumn Powerlifting Championship" held at the Okayama University Shimizu Memorial Gymnasium. This event served as the regional qualifying tournament for the "50th All Japan Student Powerlifting Championship" to be hosted at Okayama University's Second Gymnasium on November 25-26, featuring intense competition among 57 registered athletes from eight schools.

The Weight Training Club secured victory in the team competition, earning a spot for 16 members (5 female and 11 male) to compete in the National Collegiate Championship. Their outstanding performance energized the venue, showcasing the club's strength to other universities.

Ibegwam Chigaemezu Olaedo (4th year, Discovery Program for Global Learners) was selected as the Female Most Valuable Player. The competition, which witnessed the breaking of four All Japan Student records, included a remarkable bench press of 190kg by TSUBOUCHI Reo (3rd year, School of Economics) in the Men's 105kg and above category.

Reflecting on the results, Chigaemezu commented, " In this tournament, I had many concerns, especially about regaining my condition and improving my form since transitioning from bodybuilding competitions. However, thanks to the advice from the coach and the support from my fellow students, I was able to participate with confidence. Winning in my category and receiving the Female MVP award brings me great joy. I will do my best to achieve good results in the National Collegiate Championship."

The team's captain, TANII Yosuke (4th year, Faculty of Law), expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming National Collegiate Championship, saying, "I am very pleased to have achieved overall victory, surpassing Kyoto University of Advanced Science, a strong rival, in the qualifying round for the National Collegiate Championship. Building on this momentum, we aim not only to maintain our current status but also to grow further as a team. Our goal is to secure the 14th team overall victory in the National Collegiate Championship, a feat we last accomplished in 2019."

National Collegiate Championship Information:
"50th All Japan Student Powerlifting Championship for the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Cup"
Date: November 25 (Sat) - 26 (Sun)
Location: Okayama University Tsushima East Campus Second Gymnasium