MTÜ SK Jõud Junior was founded in 2010 with the purpose of:

  • promoting heavy athletics among young people;
  • developing classical weightlifting in the City of Tartu;
  • organising trainings in the field of weightlifting and bringing amateur athletes together;
  • organising competitions, training camps and other events related to weightlifting;
  • promoting sports and healthy lifestyles among the young people of the City of Tartu;
  • contributing to young people achieving self-realisation in the field of sports.

The founder of the club is a former weightlifter and long-term 6th category trainer in weightlifting, Igor Baškirov. With the help of sponsors, the club has acquired the necessary sporting equipment and participated in many competitions. Cooperation with other sports clubs both within Estonia and abroad is being developed so that young athletes could constantly get necessary competition and training experiences.

At the moment, SK Jõud Junior is one of the largest sports clubs in the field of children’s weightlifting. Trainings take place at A Le Coq SPORT five times a week.

The staff of SK Jõud Junior includes also the best female weightlifter in Estonia, Triin Põdersoo, who has achieved high places in Europe. She is efficiently and constantly progressing in weightlifting. In 2013, she achieved the 6th place in the European Championships and in 2014 Triin set four Estonian records.

The Estonian Weightlifting Federation has awarded Triin Põdersoo the title of the Best Estonian Female Weightlifter 2014.

In 2011, SK JÕUD JUNIOR revived the Tartu City Championships in weightlifting after an 18-year hiatus and continued organising it also in 2014. The 2014 Tartu City Championships in weightlifting took place at A Le Coq SPORT. There were 38 competitors. Strong athletes from Belarus, Russia and Latvia were also invited to the competition.

The activities of the sports club have also been covered by the media

Tartu Postimees:

http://tartu.postimees.ee/2928155/tostjad-rassisid-tartu-meistrivoistlustel

It is planned to organise the Tartu City Championships in weightlifting on a yearly basis as it has a positive effect on developing weightlifting. More and more people are interested in it and more athletes participate every year. Both more adults and also young people come to see the competition. This contributes to promoting heavy athletics.

The founder and trainer of SK Jõud Junior, Igor Baškirov, who was the main organiser of the 2014 Tartu City Championships, was awarded by the Estonian Weightlifting Federation with the title of the Best Organisation of an Event 2014.

In 2014, the Sports Club has been sponsored by Tartumaa Spordiliit Jõud, Estonian Weightlifting Federation, Department of Culture of the Tartu City Government, Cultural Endowment of Estonia and main sponsor Madix Teritus OÜ.

The future goals are to extend the activities of the club further, to find and support talented athletes, involve more young people in sports by promoting weightlifting and to inspire them by offering possibilities to train and participate in competitions.