News

Manama, the capital of Bahrain, will host the 2024 edition of the IWF World Championships, after the vote of the IWF Executive Board today in Havana (CUB). The Middle East bid received more support that the two other candidatures for next year’s IWF top-event, Yerevan (ARM) and Tirana (ALB). This will be the most important weightlifting event ever staged in Bahrain, which successfully hosted the 2022 Asian Championships.

The President of the Bahrain Weightlifting Federation, Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq led the three-person delegation from his country and was visibly a happy man after the outcome. “I sincerely thank the IWF Executive Board for the support and trust in our bid. We promise we will not disappoint you! We will deliver a top-class event and the entire IWF Family will live an unforgettable experience in Bahrain,” Mr Eshaq considered.

The 2024 IWF World Championships will be held in November/December, some months after the conclusion of the Olympic Games in Paris (FRA). For 2025, the host of the IWF showcase – Norway – had been already awarded in December 2021.

If this was the highlight of the two-day meeting of the IWF Executive Board in the Cuban capital, presently hosting the first 2023 IWF Grand Prix until June 18, other important decisions and discussions were held under the leadership of the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. These include:

– Update on the Sustainability Project, namely the ongoing works on the assessment and subsequent work to diminish the IWF carbon footprint;

– Under the anti-doping strategy, approval of a motion specifying that the IWF may exclude countries from competing where doping tests could not be taken by the IWF or any Anti-Doping Organisation with testing authority instructed by the IWF. Moreover, the IWF Executive Board approved an early implementation of the principle of Member Federations’ categorisation based on their doping risk from January 1, 2024 to November 1, 2023;

– Lift of the temporary suspension for four Pan-American Member Federations (subject to payment of the 2023 annual fee): Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, and the Cayman Islands;

– Approval of a financial assistance to the Cuban organisers of the 2023 Grand Prix, in order to compensate for the loss caused by numerous last-minute withdrawals from the competition;

– Approval of a policy establishing that for international events, under the IWF umbrella, participation of Member Federations is subject to the payment of the accommodation, entry, and anti-doping fees by no later than 10 days after the submission of Final Entries;

– Approval for the hiring of an independent company in charge of elaborating an internal financial audit;

– Creation of a Working Group in charge of a policy of “Human Rights and Non-Discrimination”;

– On technical matters, three topics were approved: 1. Competition platforms will have a maximum of 80cm height (instead of 100cm); 2. The Video Replay System (VPT) has to be always used in IWF events; 3. The athletes are not allowed to carry flags during medal ceremonies;

– Update on the 2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan, which will be submitted for approval at the IWF Congress next September in Riyadh (KSA), at the occasion of the 2023 IWF World Championships;

– Update on the IWF Refugee Team programme: athletes included in this group are ready to take part in the Training Camp, to be held in the end of June in Sweden, under the patronage of barbell company Eleiko;

– Presentation of the first Pan-American Street Weightlifting competition, to be held in Jamaica, from August 11-13, 2023;

– The EB also finalised the IWF Constitution changes, to be submitted for Congress approval in September 2023.