News

Under the leadership of the IWF President Mohammed Jalood, a hybrid IWF Executive Board meeting took place on March 30, 2023, with most of its members attending the IWF World Youth Championships in Durres (ALB).

The main decisions taken by the IWF Executive Board include:

– Approval of the IWF Development Programme for 2023, with a total of US$650,000 being distributed by National Federations across the five continents. Special attention was given to three members recently affected by natural disasters: Ecuador, Turkey, and Syria;

– Validation of the applications received for the constitution of an IWF Refugee Team – seven athletes (four women and three men) were accepted to be part of the programme. Moreover, six coaches have shown interest in being the technical responsible for the team;

– Acknowledgement of the excellent partnership with ITA (International Testing Agency), the independent body in charge of all anti-doping operations on behalf of the IWF. The Executive Board reiterates that this is a fundamental integrity topic and that a significant part of the IWF annual budget (around 35%) is allocated to the fight against cheating in our sport. Moreover, the IWF recognises that the number of cases was dramatically reduced, thus proving the efficiency and extent of the IWF/ITA cooperation;

– Following the recent IOC recommendation related to the eventual participation of Russia and Belarus at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Executive Board states:

“The IWF stands in solidarity with Ukraine and supports the continued IOC sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

 We have taken note of the recommendation by the IOC Executive Board that sets out strict conditions under which athletes with Russian or Belorussian passports may be permitted to compete on an individual, neutral basis in competitions governed by International Federations. We will take time to review the guidance closely in order to determine whether and how it can be applied to weightlifting.

 The IWF Executive Board will provide an update once the recommendation has been fully considered.

 In the meantime, the protective measures introduced last year remain in place at this time.”

– Approval of a working group in charge of creating an “IWF Strategic Plan 2024-2032”;

– Appraisal of the commitment and valuable contribution of the IWF Athletes Commission (AC) for the development of the IF activities. The presence of three AC members on the Executive Board is deemed extremely useful, as it allows very direct and efficient communication between the IWF leadership and the IWF athletes;

– Discussion on the Constitution’s update, which must be formally approved by the IWF Congress next September with the occasion of the IWF World Championships. It was noted that no substantive changes are made – matters related to better readability and comprehension of the text are being revised by the IWF legal team;

– Approval of a rule establishing that Organisers of IWF events must do their utmost to make all financial transactions by wire transfer. Cash operations are only allowed in very exceptional circumstances and must be timely reported to the IWF, in the most detailed way possible;

– Approval of a “Sustainability Plan Report”, to be applied at the IWF events;

– Approval of a transgender policy and creation of a working group responsible for its implementation.

“We had a very fruitful meeting here in Durres and I take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues from the Executive Board for their valuable support to our activities and for their sense of unity and close cooperation. The IWF family is working together for the sake of our athletes, coaches and officials, and their respective National Member Federations. Many important topics were discussed and I am sure that progress will continue to be made in several areas: good governance, anti-doping policy, transparency and accountability, voice and representation of athletes, and organisation of IWF events,” stated the IWF President Mohammed Jalood at the end of the meeting.