IWF announces the 10 lifters benefitting from the Athletes Direct Support Programme
Following the announcement of the project on April 21, the IWF is pleased to announce that it has selected the 10 lifters to be included in the IWF Athletes Direct Support Programme, as follows:
Rachel ENOCK, Kenya
Davis NIYOYITA, Uganda
Park HYEJEONG, Korea
Reza DEHDAR, Iran
Tham NQUYEN, Ireland
Yusuf GENC, Turkey
Maria Luz CASADEVALL, Argentina
Omarie MEARS, Jamaica
Dika Loa TOUA, Papua New Guinea
David LITI, New Zealand
This programme aims at assisting 10 international elite athletes with Olympic potential in their preparation for the Paris 2024 Games. These lifters were chosen by a selection panel composed of one member of the IWF Executive Board, two members from the IWF Athletes’ Commission, and one independent member.
In its decision, the panel applied the eligibility criteria and requirements set out by the IWF Athletes Commission and at the same time was attentive to select lifters who have a real possibility to be in the Olympics, do not receive a scholarship as part of the IOC Olympic Solidarity Plan and have never been sanctioned for an anti-doping rule violation.
In doing so, the selection panel took special care to allocate the funding to athletes coming from countries which do not have a well-developed support system and, at the same time, to ensure the selected athletes meet the geographic diversity requirements set out by the IWF. In this respect, and considering the number, background and weight categories of the applicants, the selection panel took particular aim at awarding the grant to aid the athletes with the greatest needs of it.
Since the principal objective of this programme is the assistance of the selected lifters for their eventual qualification and participation at the 2024 Olympic Games, the amount allocated per athlete is to be distributed in three instalments, while the IWF Athletes’ Commission will follow-up on their progress and may decide to re-allocate the funding if necessary, at its discretion.
For more information on this programme, please check:
IWF AC Direct Support Program 2023
