Kolonia, POHNPEI (FSMNOC/FSM Information Service): October 11, 2006 - This outstanding feat was accomplished on October 1, 2006 at the IWF World Championship games held in Santo Domingo, Domican Republic. Mr. Minginfel competed with 41 competitors, the best weightlifters in his division, from 30 different countries. He won the silver medal with the lift of 165 kg next to his Chinese competitor who won the Gold. His combined total weight of 293 kg (645 lbs.) placed him in the number 4 spot overall.

Manual Minginfel becomes the first ever athlete from the Federated States of Micronesia to win a medal in any sport at the World Championship Games. He is an International Olympic Committee Scholarship recipient (Beijing 2006 Olympic Games Athlete Scholarship) and is a resident lifter at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Apia, Samoa. With this accomplishment, he becomes the highest internationally ranked weightlifter in the Oceania region, including Australia and New Zealand.

The World Championship games serve as an Olympic qualifying event. This means that Minginfel is now qualified to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games. Not only is he qualified but he is a medal contender at the next Olympic Games in 2008.

The nation congratulates Mr. Minginfel and along with his family and friends expresses its pride in his accomplishments for himself, for Yap State, and for the nation.