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Asian Junior and Youth Championships in Kathmandu, NEP

The Asian Junior and Youth Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal took place on 21-29 July, 2017. A total of 241 competitors from 38 Asian countries participated in the combined 19th Youth, 24th Junior Women’s and 31st Junior Men’s Championships. “The participation of 38 countries is also a record and I am happy that the Nepal Weightlifting Association (NWA) hosted all the delegates without any problem,” Dr. Ajan, IWF President, visiting the event, said. “Hats off to NWA President Ratan Tandon, General Secretary Parth Sarathi Sengupta and the whole NWA team. They have done a lot of hard work for the championships”. Thailand’s Teerapat Chomchuen set new world record in the Youth and Junior Asian Weightlifting Championships at the Nepal Army Sports Complex. Chomchuen lifted 127kg in Clean and Jerk to set a new mark in the Youth age group. Ormila Devi Konsam of India lifted a total of 127kg – 55kg in Snatch and 72kg in Clean and Jerk to win 44kg category gold Medal for Youth. Vietnamese athletes pocketed three gold Medals. Nepali weightlifters improved personal records -Prakash KC has set new Junior National Record in men’s 69kg bodyweight category, when he lifted 100 kg in Snatch and 132kg in the Clean and Jerk. “Now my aim is to win medal in South Asian Games. For that I will continue the training and hard work as SAG is very tough event to bag a medal” added by Prakash. Nepal Weightlifting Association President Ratan Kumar Tandon said: “I was planning to bring an international event to Nepal soon after I was elected as President to help boost and motivate Nepali weightlifters. “ He added “This event will definitely help our development” The IWF was fully satisfied with the preparation of Nepal in hosting the Youth and Junior Asian Weightlfiting Championships.  “Nepal made history with this event, which was the biggest so far hosted by NWA in Nepali sports and I am satisfied with the way the Association managed to organise the competition in their first attempt,” said Dr. Tamas Ajan . The IWF is keen on improving the standard of weightlifting across the globe. “With 192 member countries in five continents and participation in Olympic Games since 1896, weightlifting is a strong sport. We are working hard to develop the sport and to make it even more attractive” Dr. Ajan said. The IWF donated equipment to Nepal, while the Asian Weightlifting Federation provided extra financial support for the

Medal handed by IWF President at the 17th FINA World Championships

Budapest hosted the 17th FINA World Championships from 14 to 30 July 2017: the biggest sporting event ever held in Hungary.  The newly re-elected FINA President, Dr. Julio C. Maglione declared it “the best World Championships ever in FINA history”. Organizing Committee President, Mr. Miklos Sesztak emphasized that Hungary did what many had thought impossible: to organise the Championships in two years. IWF President and IOC Honorary Member, Dr. Tamas Ajan presented medals at the award ceremony of the Women's 50m Freestyle event at the Duna Arena on July 30. On the fringes of the FINA World Championships, he met and held fruitful discussions with numerous high-ranking international visitors and guests of honour; among them  Mr.  Julio C. Maglione, FINA President,  Mr Alexander Zhukov, President of the Russian Olympic Committee and IOC Member and Mr. Pavel Kolobkov, Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation. IWF photographer Jozsef Szaka shot the FINA World's most popular photo shared by over 11,000 on facebook. For more info please visit the FINA official website under the following link.  

2017 Commonwealth & Oceania Championships

With five weeks to go to one of the biggest weightlifting events ever held in the region. The city of Gold Coast on September 3rd to 9th, will host the 2017 Commonwealth and Oceania Championships for Senior, Junior and Youth. This event is also a test event for next year’s Commonwealth Games. The championships has attracted 400 lifters and 150 officials coming from 37 countries. The Organising Committee under leadership of Michael Keelan, the CEO of Australian Weightlifting, have done a brilliant job, especially in assisting countries who require visas to enter Australia. The OWF Annual Congress will be held at the Gold Coast at the Mercure Resort on September 4th . For more info, check out the latest OWF Newsletter! Souce: Paul Coffa, OWF General

Happy Birthday to Aleksandr Kurlovich

Aleksandr Nikolaevich Kurlovich celebrated his 56th Birthday on the 28th of July. He has outstanding results in weightlifting and reached success in Sports Diplomacy as well. Two times Olympic Champion (1988 and 1992) four times World Champion (1987,1989,1991,1994), two times European Champion (1989,1990) and World Record holder twelve times, he is one of those few athletes being able to register such incredible achievements. He finished his sport career at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta 5th under the Belarus flag. His best results are 215kg in the Snatch, 260kg in the Clean and Jerk and 472,5kg in the Total. Aleksandr Kurlovich - born on 28 July in 1961, Grodno -  is the Director of the Representative Office of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus in Grodno Province.  He is also a Member of the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus and deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Weightlifting Union; Vice-President of the European Weightlifting Federation and Member of the IWF Technical Committee. For his outstanding results entered the IWF Weightlifting Hall of Fame in

88 Madagascar athletes to train for five months in China

88 Malagasy athletes will be sent to China for five months of training this year, Malagasy Sports Minister said in March. Eighty-eight Malagasy athletes will be sent to China for five months of training this year, Malagasy sports minister said in March. "Eighty-eight Malagasy athletes in five disciplines will be selected by Chinese experts and Malagasy technicians and will leave this year for five months of training in China," Madagascar's Minister of Sports Anicet Andriamosarisoa said during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar Yang Xiaorong. "These Malagasy athletes perform in swimming, athletics, ping pong, weightlifting and badminton," the Minister said. "The Chinese government sent a study mission consisting of four experts to study the needs of the Malagasy side and establish the sports cooperation program," the Minister added. Apart from swimming, athletics, ping pong, weightlifting and badminton, other disciplines will also be improved as part of this Sino-Malagasy sport cooperation program, the minister disclosed. Yang said that the two countries planned to invite Chinese sports coaches in Madagascar and to send talented Malagasy athletes to train in China and provide sports equipment. "Our goal is to help Madagascar improve the performances and conditions of training," the Chinese Ambassador said. "The implementation of this project will reinforce the existing cooperation and will support the implementation of Madagascar's national sports policy, increase the exchanges of young athletes from both countries," Yang said. The Chinese Ambassador added that this is "the most important project in recent years in the field of sports cooperation between the two countries." Source: New

82 year old weightlifter strikes gold again

Retired soldier Ng Chow Seng has won his sixth gold medal in weightlifting at the age of 82. The grandfather of six from Bukit Mertajam proved his strength at the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand, in the 80-84 age category in April. He lifted 42kg in the Snatch and 52kg in the Clean and Jerk for a Total of 94kg. In second place was Horoshi Kogo, 80, from Japan, who lifted 86kg while Feliks Bionkowski, 81, of Poland finished third with 75kg. “I learned discipline from my army days. I make a plan and commit to consistent training,” he said at a press conference in Komtar with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Chong Eng. “I am a pensioner so I have plenty of time to train. I sleep before 10pm and wake up at 5am. “Then it is training from 5.30am to 9am, and another session from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. “It is not easy but much depends on our ability to withstand stress.” Ng retired as Warrant Officer II in the Armed Forces in 1984 after serving 25 years and won his first gold in the IWF World Masters Weightlifting Championship in 2011 in Limassol, Cyprus. Then he retained his title throughout 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. When he won the same competition held in Finland in 2015, he said “People think I am kind of crazy lifting weights day and night at my age. But they fail to realise that this is the sport that I truly love.” He is determined to continue competing internationally for at least two more years. “My next immediate target is a gold medal at the Asia Pacific Masters Games in Penang next year,” he said. We wish Ng all the best in pursuing his dreams and keeping his passion alive despite his old age! Source: THE STAR Online,