UTE-CAT Helps Powerlifting Olympic Aspirant and Sri Lanka Champion
Representing one’s country is a dream few sportsmen realize; winning a medal lies in the realm of great expectations. Darin Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka’s reigning Powerlifting Champion’s recent win at the Asian Powerlifting Championships in India has paved the way for what many would call an impossible dream – participating in an Olympics Game.
Having set his sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Darin has to qualify through three rounds in his pet sport, 120kg Powerlifting (three lifts, not the customary two as in Weightlifting) which is set to debut as a medal sport during the 2020 Olympics.
He says, “There are three rounds of qualifications. I have passed the first round with two more later; the World Championships will be held next year in August and the final next round at the end of 2018, two years before the Olympics.”
As an Olympic hopeful Weerasinghe is undeterred at what many would believe to be an insurmountable task, “The biggest hurdle was to pass the first one.”
While achieving this milestone with professional stride, he acknowledges that his participation in the Games will probably go down as a first in the country’s history. “It is the first time a Sri Lankan has passed this stage in a strength sport,” he notes.
Darin’s success in the sporting arena is not limited to powerlifting. He is also a prominent racing driver and a motorcar racing champion. Supporting him to live his sporting dreams is United Tractor & Equipment (Pvt) Ltd (UTE), the sole authorized dealer for CAT construction equipment and power generators in Sri Lanka.
“I have been sponsored by UTE for five years now, they have been sponsoring my motor racing and have helped me a lot in motor racing. They have also come in as a sponsor for my weight lifting and power lifting as well. They continue to back me up and have been a really good sponsor,” Darin says.
While the road to 2020 seems long, Darin’s unflagging optimism is tempered with common sense, he says “We (Sri Lanka’s other Powerlifting Olympic aspirant Ransilu Jayathilake) have a four year gap and hope to take it step by step, by progressing and getting results.”
Results are something Darin is long familiar with. His interest in powerlifting magnified into an addiction, he says, “I always aspire to train with people who are stronger than me, always trying to outdo each other, lifting bigger and bigger weights.
He struck silver at his first competition, in 2010 – the Sri Lanka Power Lifting Nationals and from then onwards continued from strength to strength. Darin says “I have been winning pretty much everything I have participated in including Gold at the many powerlifting invitationals held in Singapore.” He is also the holder of four national records.
While he successfully manages to continue his grueling sports training and running a thriving fitness business, Darin is on track to become Sri Lanka’s first Olympic participant in a strength sport.
Having begun realising his dream in such a unique and different sport Darin has few words of advice for Olympic aspirants, “One thing we learnt by going for international competitions is if you want to be at the top, discipline is the most important thing, you have to be consistent. Set yourself realistic goals and most of all enjoy what you are doing.”
“UTE who has been at the forefront of the tough construction equipment and power generation business in Sri Lanka with the world renowned Caterpillar brand has found a great Brand Ambassador in Darin who represents strength, fitness, discipline and efficiency. All these qualities are in the UTE-CAT combination that is ‘Built for It’ and we know our journey with Darin will continue”, quoted Prasan Fernando, President of UTE.
Photo caption: Darin Weerasinghe with his team mates