| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Bobby the Big |
| Born | 24 April 1980 |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Liberia |
| Sport | Paralympic powerlifting |
| Event | 2012 Summer Paralympics |
James Bobby Siaffa (born 24 April 1980), also known as Bobby the Big, is a Liberian Paralympic powerlifter. He is the first athlete of any sport to represent Liberia at the Paralympics.
Siaffa was born on 24 April 1980. [1] He first started powerlifting in 1995. Siaffa made his international debut in the world of powerlifting on 28 May in the 2010 World Para Powerlifting Organization 2nd FAZZA International in Dubai. [2] Siaffa ranked 6th in the competition. [3] On 25 February 2012, during the 2012 FAZZA International Powerlifting Competition in Dubai, one of Siaffa's urine samples tested positive for a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. While Siaffa initially faced the potential of a two-year sanction for the positive test, two factors reduced the sanction to three months instead: the fact that Siaffa had included information about the use of a painkiller he had taken on his doping control form and a letter from his pharmacist, explaining that he was prescribed the painkiller which was thought to be allowed to treat a dislocated shoulder. The sanction took effect on 26 March 2012, as that was the date Siaffa was made aware of the violation. [4] [5]
In the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, Siaffa became the first athlete to represent Liberia in the Paralympics. He also served as the flag bearer for his country in the parade of nations. [6] Ultimately, on 4 September 2012, Siaffa ranked 7th in the men's 82.5 kg powerlifting event. There, he achieved his personal record, benching 419 lbs. In 2016, Siaffa wrote a letter to the International Paralympic Committee outlining his dissatisfaction with the Liberia National Paralympic Committee (LNPC). The letter alleged that while he was willing to compete in the Paralympics in Rio that year, he was uncomfortable with the leadership of the LNPC, and had faced verbal abuse among other poor treatment at their hands. LNPC General-Secretary Festus Robinson, who was one of the officials accused of abuse, accused Kotie Mawolo, with whom he had long standing conflict, of being the true author of the letter. Robinson believed that Mawolo had only gotten Siaffa to sign it. Liberia did not end up competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games, as the government was unable to provide the funds for the trip. [6]
Siaffa initially planned to compete in the 2018 World Para Powerlifting African Championship in Algiers, but a minor wrist injury he received when getting off the plane to Algeria prevented him from doing so. [1] [7]
Cheating at the Paralympic Games has caused scandals that have significantly changed the way in which the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) manages the events.
Richard Nicholson is an Australian Paralympic powerlifter and athlete. He has competed at five successive Paralympic Games from the 1996 to 2012 Summer Paralympics. At the 2000 Games, he won a silver medal in the powerlifting Men's Up to 60 kg event. In athletics, at the 2004 Athens Paralympics he won a silver medal in the Men's 4 × 100 m T53–54 event and at the 2012 London Paralympics a bronze medal in the Men's 4 × 400 m T53–54 event.
Deahnne Mary McIntyre, OAM is an Australian former Paralympic athletics competitor and one of few Australian female powerlifters. She won four medals in the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games in athletics, and competed in powerlifting from 2000 until her retirement from the sport in January 2011.
Rajinder Singh Rahelu is an Indian Paralympic powerlifter. He won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the 56 kg category. He represented India at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, finishing fifth in the final standings. Arjuna Award recipient, Rahelu, represented India at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom; he failed in all his three attempts at 175 kilograms (386 lb).
Özlem Becerikli is a Turkish powerlifter of class PO competing in the -56 kg division, and a Paralympian. She is a member of the Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıtspor, where she is coached by Şule Şahbaz.
Esther Oyema is a Nigerian powerlifter.
Paul Kehinde was a Nigerian Para powerlifter. He was born in Epe, in Lagos state, Nigeria. He competed in the men's 65 kg class and also occasionally in the 72 kg class. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games he competed in the men's 72 kg event where he won a gold medal. Kehinde died 18 November 2021 in Lagos after a brief period of illness.
Fatma Omar is an Egyptian powerlifter competing in the -56 kg category. She is a dominant power in her sport, winning gold in her event in four Summer Paralympics, and another four gold medals at the IPC Powerlifting World Championships.
Powerlifting in Cameroon is one of several para-sports in Cameroon for people with physical disabilities. The sport is represented nationally at the University Games.
Conrat Frederic Atangana is a Paralympian from Cameroon who represented his country at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in powerlifting's men's -56 kg event.
Agustin Podes Kitan is a Filipino powerlifter who has competed at the Summer Paralympics.
Folashade Alice Oluwafemiayo is a Nigerian Paralympian athlete.
Shaaban Ibrahim is an Egyptian Paralympic powerlifter. He represented Egypt at the Summer Paralympics three times: in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He won a bronze medal on each occasion; he won bronze in the men's 60 kg event in 2008, in the men's 67.5 kg event in 2012 and in the men's 65 kg event in 2016.
Amany Ali is an Egyptian Paralympic powerlifter. She represented Egypt at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and she won the bronze medal in the women's 73 kg event in 2016.
Seyed Hamed Solhipour Avanji is an Iranian Paralympic powerlifter and the World Champion in the 97Kg.
Ahmed Shafik is an American Paralympic powerlifter of Iraqi descent, he represented the 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics. His father Abdul Shafik is a retired weightlifter who competed for the Iraq national weightlifting team.
Bonnie Bunyau anak Gustin is a Malaysian powerlifter. He won Malaysia's first ever gold medal in the sport in the men's 72 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, breaking the Paralympic record in the process.
Vera Georgievna Muratova is a Russian Paralympic powerlifter. She won the bronze medal in the women's 79 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan. A few months later, Muratova won the silver medal in her event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Events in the year 2012 in Liberia.
Ben Wright is an Australian para powerlifter. Ben was successful in securing a spot via the Bipartisan Vote to compete at 2024 Paris Paralympics.
 | This Paralympics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This biographical article relating to sport in Liberia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |