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By Neto Baptiste
Antigua and Barbuda now has an umbrella body to manage and promote the affairs of arm wrestling.
This is according to the sport’s lone international competitor Daniel Antonio, who recently won gold in the Left Arm Youth 90 kilogram-plus division of the Pan American Arm-Wrestling Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, Antonio revealed that the body has been in place and duly recognized for some weeks now.
“As of last month, we do have the Antigua and Barbuda Arm Wresting Association so it’s now official and it is now recognized by the Ministry of Sports and we have about, between 30 and 40 youngsters as part of the group,” he said.
Antonio said the formation of the association allows him to spread his knowledge to other Antiguans wanting to get involved in the sport.
“My goal is to raise awareness because, just like everyone else, I used to think that it is just a regular game or that it is more of a game than a sport and just something you do for fun. Once I received the awareness that it’s done at a higher level across the world and that there is a world arm wrestling federation that has been around since the 1970s that actually has 105 countries registered with professional teams and professional athletes … I thought it was my duty to share that awareness with the rest of my country,” he said.
The young arm wrestler has been building momentum on the international stage. In 2023, he claimed first place in the beginner category in Spain and demonstrated his potential by placing fifth against world champions in the 100KG Seniors Category.
Antonio said he enjoys representing Antigua and Barbuda.
“So, for example, I’ve done the North American Championships twice, last year in Mexico City and this year in Costa Rica and on both occasions, I was the only competitor from the English-speaking Caribbean because Puerto Rico has been a part of arm wrestling since the ‘90s. They are technically part of the West Indies but they are an American territory. …We still consider Antigua as the first Caribbean country so they’ve been very surprised and they’ve been very excited,” he said.
After participating in the Arnold Classic Europe Arm Wrestling Tournament back in 2023, Antonio had pledged to start a national association.
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