Zaw WEIK

U Zaw Weik competed for India in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympics, but he was a native of Burma, now called Myanmar. He began lifting weights for training in 1929 and quickly became the top lifter in that nation, breaking British Empire records in 1933 through 1935, when he won the All-India Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Contest in Kolkata. After the 1936 Olympics Weik and his mentor, U Shein, visited England and London’s Hyde Park inspired them, seeing the freedom of speech enjoyed by the British people. They realized that colonial rule deprived the Burmese of their fundamental rights and they returned to Burma with a nationalistic goal. Weik worked alongside the leaders of the independence movement to resist British Imperialism. Weik also established the Burma Olympic Association in 1946, and served as their director after Burmese independence was achieved in 1948. Prime Minister of Burma, U Nu, awarded him an Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree and the title of Wunna Kyaw Htin.