News

Stay Away From Drugs, NWF Warns

Weightlifting Federation of Nigeria (NWF) has warned weightlifters against smearing the image of the country through doping as the contingent departs for Cairo for the Olympic qualifiers. Secretary of the federation Uche Onwumeh told that the board of the NWF has sounded it loud and clear that it would not take it kindly with any lifter that would get involved in doping. She said the federation has admonished the lifters against the use of any banned substance, saying that the federation would deal decisively with any lifter found wanting. "We have camped the lifters for two weeks at the National Institute for Sports (NIS) with good feeding and training to give their best at the championship which begins this weekend in Egypt. We have also warned them against the use of banned drugs as the federation will not hesitate to come down heavily on any lifter found wanting and we meant every word spoken. Any lifter that will rub mud on the face this country as a result of doping will be handed over to the National Drug Law Encforcement Agency (NDLEA) to deal with such lifter", Onwumeh said. (By Solomon

Matthias Steiner is hoping his newborn son will compete at the 2032 Olympics!

Matthias would probably like to lift the whole world above his head out of happiness after the 27-year-old became a father nearly a week ago. His wife Inge (39) gave birth to son Felix in hospital in Heidelberg. The youngster already weighs nearly four kilograms. BILD: How did if feel to hear your son cry? Steiner: "It was a huge relief when the little one first cried. It was emotionally overwhelming." BILD: In which sport should we be expecting Felix to compete in in the 2036 Olympics? Will you recommend a sport to him? Steiner: "Why 2036? I'm already thinking about 2032. I was at my first Olympic games at 22 after all. He's allowed to choose the sport himself. But I would naturally be pleased if he became a sportsman." BILD: Do you have more fear of the future now as a new father? Steiner: "Less, in fact. It gives me more hope." BILD: Do you already feel that fatherhood has changed you? Steiner: "Yes, absolutely. I must now plan my time much more carefully for the little one, I can no longer just change my plans at any time. That is a new experience for me." (Based on Bild

Bulgarian Minister of Sports becomes Honorary Chairman of 2010 JWC Sofia

Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation President Anton Kodjabashev reports that Mr. Svilen Nejkov, Minister for Sport and Education of Bulgaria has accepted the post of Honorary Chairman of the 2010 Junior World Weightlifting Championships. As a reminder, here is the Program of the 2010 JWC: 36th MEN and 16th WOMEN  WORLD JUNIOR WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 11 - 20. 06. 2010 - SOFIA - BUL  10:00 h    11.06.2010 Friday: Technical Committee Meeting 10:00 h    11.06.2010 Friday: Medical Committee Meeting 10:00 h    11.06.2010 Friday: Coaching and Research Committee Meeting 10:00 h    12.06.2010 Saturday: Executive Board Meeting 18:00 h    12.06.2010 Saturday: Verification of final entries 09:00 h    13.06.2010 Sunday: Registration of delegates 10:00 h    13.06.2010 Sunday: IWF Congress 16:00 h    13.06.2010 Sunday: IWF Technical Officials Meeting TIME CATEG / SEX GROUP Sunday, June - 14 10:00 48 WOМEN'S В 13:00 56 МEN'S В 15:00 Opening ceremony 16:00 48 WOМEN'S A 19:00 56 МEN'S A Monday, June - 15 10:00 53 WOМEN'S B 13:00 62 МEN'S B 16:00 53 WOМEN'S A 19:00 62 МEN'S A Tuesday, June - 16 10:00 58 WOМEN'S В 13:00 69 МEN'S B 16:00 58 WOМEN'S А 19:00 69 МEN'S A Wednesday, June - 17 10:00 63 WOМEN'S B 13:00 77 МEN'S B 16:00 63 WOМEN'S A 19:00 77 МEN'S A Thursday, June - 18 10:00 69 WOМEN'S B 13:00 85 МEN'S В 16:00 69 WOМEN'S А 19:00 85 МEN'S A Friday, June - 19 09:00 75 and  +75 WOМEN'S В 11:00 94 МEN'S B 14:00 75 WOМEN'S А 16:30 +75 WOМEN'S A 19:30 94 МEN'S A Saturday, June - 20 10:00 105 МEN'S, +105 МEN'S В 13:00 105 МEN'S А 16:00 +105 МEN'S А       19:30                         CLOSING CEREMONY

Azerbaijan ready to host big events – visitors at IWF office confirm

Isgandar Askerov, the President's Special Representative from the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation, alongside Yanko Rusev, Chief Coach for Azerbaijan paid a visit at the IWF headquarters in Budapest. Both officials confirmed to the IWF President Dr. Tamás Aján that Azerbaijan is eager and ready to host a major weightlifting event in the near future. Sport, within that weightlifting, is receiving particular focus in the country under the care of President Ilham Heydar Aliyev, and thanks to intensive development projects a fast progress can be registered both in terms of venues, facilities and training. The move to hire Moscow's Bulgarian Olympic Champion Yanko Rusev as Chief Coach for the AZE weightlifting squad has already shown its results and give hope for further success in terms of medals.

Games chief worried Delhi still not ready with 200 days to go

New Delhi's preparations for the Commonwealth Games have again come under fire from Mike Hooper, the chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), who has admitted that the organisation is growing increasingly frustrated at the missed deadlines. The Games are due to open in 200 days time on October 3 but several venues remain to be completed and fears continue to grow that the event will not be a success. Hooper, a New Zealander, has spent most of the last year in the Indian capital trying to help get the project back on track, a role that has seen him clash repeatedly with Suresh Kalmadi, India's most powerful sports administrator and the chairman of the local organising committee. A peace-deal was brokered between the two men last October but Hooper's latest comments could prove incendiary, even though they merely echo fears that the CGF President Mike Fennell expressed during a visit to Delhi last week. Hooper is confident that India has help reassure a lot of countries over their concerns regarding security - especially following the successful hosting of the hockey World Cup, which finished on Sunday - but remains unhappy about the pace of building the facilities. Hooper said: "The deadlines are being pushed further every time". "If the venue construction programme does not adhere to what are self-imposed deadlines now, it will impact adversely the operational obligations." Delhi officials are planning a day of celebrations on Sunday to mark the 200-day countdown and Kalmadi continues to insist that the Games will be the most successful in the event's 80-year history, surpassing even Manchester in 2002 and Melbourne in 2006, which are widely credited with having raised the profile of the Movement. Kalmadi said:"As we get closer to the Games, the sense of anticipation and excitement is growing". (By Duncan MackayBritish Sports Internet Writer of the

A new President for New Zealand Weightlifting

New Zealand has a new President in Weightlifting. Mr. Rory Barret, one of the top weightlifters New Zealand produced in the 1970´s and 1980´s has been elected to the position of President of Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand. Mr. Terry Hughes is the new