News

Asian Championships relocated to Uzbekistan

A decision was made on the AWF Executive Board meeting in Tashkent to relocate the Asian Championships from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan. The Asian Championships will be held 16th – 25th April 2020 at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The updated competition documents are available, 2020 ASIAN

“United by Emotion” to be the Tokyo 2020 Games Motto

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today revealed the official Games Motto, “United by Emotion”. The Motto emphasizes the power of sport to bring together people from diverse backgrounds of every kind and allow them to connect and celebrate in a way that reaches beyond their differences. The Games Motto encapsulates the Games vision, capturing the essence of the ideas and concepts that the host city wishes to share with the world. “United by Emotion” expresses the hope that the spectators, volunteers, and athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees and the Refugee Olympic Team gathering in Tokyo this summer, as well as the billions watching on television and online across the globe, will come together and understand that there is more that unites than divides them.     The story of the Tokyo 2020 Games Motto — “United by Emotion” This Motto summarizes the ideas and concepts that the host city of Tokyo wishes to share with the world. While reflecting the essential values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Motto incorporates a specific and timely message embracing diversity, reflecting the 2020 zeitgeist in the urban environment of Tokyo. The Games will bring together athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees and the Refugee Olympic Team, as well as millions of spectators and media representatives. In this age where we so often connect with others without physically meeting, the Tokyo 2020 Games will inspire countless new face-to-face encounters among those participating in and watching events. The Games will provide a time and a place where an astounding variety of people—different nationalities, ethnicities, races, genders, cultures, as well as those with and without impairments—can meet and get to know each other and look beyond their differences. Sport gives people the opportunity to experience a variety of emotions and passions, and the Tokyo 2020 Games will allow people to witness the courage and competitive spirit of the athletes and voice their support. Crowds of spectators who do not know each other prior to the Games will come together and learn that there is more that unites them than divides them. This is precisely the power of sport – its ability to connect people through their emotions. And it is what Tokyo 2020 intends to depict with the Motto “United by

Coaching course in Tuvalu

The International Weightlifting Federation, in cooperation with the Olympic Solidarity, held a Coaching Course in Tuvalu, Oceania, in December 2019. Mrs. Erin Haff from Australia gave a 3-day presentation for the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) and Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF). Participants heard several informative lectures and also had some practical lessons where they could acquire the proper weightlifting techniques. The sixteen participants carefully listened to the topics, practised the right movements and at the end, they had both written- and physical assessments. Mr. Elu Tataua, Secretary-General of TASNOC, Mr. Lusama Fiafiaga, TWF President and Mr. Liai Mataio, TWF Vice President also paid a visit to the course. 'The general scope and purpose of the Olympic Solidarity program excellent. I was deeply honoured to represent the IWF and assist with this program in the country of Tuvalu. There were many participants who were keen to develop and strengthen a national sports program there.' said Mrs.

Last chance to vote for the 2019 LIFTERS OF THE YEAR!

Today, 10 February is the last chance to vote on who was your Best Male and Best Female Lifter in 2019, the poll closes tomorrow! The winners will receive the  “IWF Jenő Boskovics Lifter of the Year Trophies for 2019”! MEN OM YUN CHOL (PRK, 55 kg) SHI ZHIYONG (CHN, 73 kg) LYU XIAOJUN (CHN, 81 kg) MARTIROSYAN SIMON (ARM, 109 kg) TALAKHADZE LASHA (GEO, +109 kg) WOMEN KUO HSING-CHUN (TPE), 59 kg) DENG WEI (CHN, 64 kg) NYE KATHERINE ELIZABETH (USA, 71 kg) RIM JONG SIM (PRK, 76 kg) SOLIS ARBOLEDA LEIDY YESSENIA (COL, 81 kg) VOTE

Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz aims to re-write the history books at Tokyo 2020

Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is aiming to re-write the history books at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Diaz, 28, became the first Filipino woman to win a medal at Rio four years ago when she took silver in the 53kg final. Tokyo will be her fourth consecutive Games but this time round she is aiming for gold. She won three gold medals at the Weightlifting World Cup in Rome at the end of last month which has raised expectations for her to seal gold in Tokyo. And Diaz is now having to focus dealing with the pressure ahead of the summer. She said: "It was a different story back in 2016 because no one expected that I would win. "In 2020, everyone now believes we have a chance to win a medal in the Olympics, of course, the pressure and the expectations are high. "I need to prepare and formulate a strategy. I can't just go there to Japan and expect to win without doing anything. "Sometimes I question why it's so hard, why it's difficult to win in the Olympics, and why I have to push myself hard in training. Sometimes I question why I need to give everything to the country, if people are deserving of what I work hard for. I can retire and walk away, but if I do that, I'm showing the world that we Filipinos easily give up. "What keeps me going is my goal, my goal for the country. We all want to win a gold medal in the Olympics and for how many years no one has done it yet? "In sports, it's not always miracles. Almost all the time, you have to work hard for it," she added. By Alicia Turner,

Short movie about Mathias Steiner honoured at AIPS Sport Media Awards

Olympic Channel's production, 'Legends Live On', featuring German weightlifter Matthias Steiner, recognised in 'Video Short Feature' category at the second edition of the 2019 AIPS Sport Media Awards. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Budapest, Hungary on Monday night. An impressive 1746 award submissions from 125 countries where whittled down to a final 'top three' for each of the 11 different categories. The 12-member AIPS Sport Media Awards jury and AIPS President Gianni Merlo voted for the final winners, while local hero three-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Katinka Hosszu and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe were on hand to present some of the awards. Olympic Channel production Legends Live On - featuring the incredible story of German Olympic weightlifting champion Matthias Steiner - finished third in the Short Video Production category. Matthias Steiner's triumph in the face of adversity Shortlisted Olympic Channel production Legends Live On features Matthias Steiner, and his inspiring gold medal. The German weightlifter became Olympic champion at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, shortly after the unexpected death of his wife in a car accident. See on the link below how the Olympic legend has now overcome diabetes and weight issues to lead a healthier life. He has also become a best-selling author in Germany, inspiring future generations to lead healthier lives as well. LEGENDS LIVE ON - Matthias