News

Today, on 19 February 2009, the IWF Executive Board started its 2-day meeting in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Ottó Török, State Secretary of Sport welcomed the Board in the city where the IWF has been headquartered for 32 years, under the leadership of President Dr. Tamás Aján.
Among the first decisions of the Board was to replace the still existing Olympic Standards with Olympic Records, which will be the same as the best results achieved in the respective category and lift at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
A progress report of the host Thai Weightlifting Association (TAWA) was received on the 1st Youth World Championships, which will be held in ChiangMai, Thailand, 19-24 May 2009. The EGAT YWC website is now in operation: YWC 2009. 
In this connection, the Executive Board approved to establish youth world records, prior to the 1st Youth World Championships, based on the continental youth records already existing.
The Executive Board approved the affiliation of 3 new members:
– Gambia (Africa)
– Laos (Asia)
– Mauritania (Africa)
raising the IWF’s membership to 187 countries.

On the second meeting day the Board discussed and decided the following:
– Major Guidelines of the Olympic Qualification System for the 2012 London Olympic Games – The System will be nearly the same as for Beijing 2008, with refinements and adjustments regarding gender proportions and a balance between world and continental qualification. The final version will be published before the Electoral Congress.
– National Federations’ eligibility for voting and presenting candidates at the IWF Electoral Congress in Madrid. – See News

The Executive Board was given a reception at the Parliament House by Mr. István Gyenesei, Minister of Local Government in charge of Sport.