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Dika Loa Toua won the best femele athlete award at the PNGOC SP Sport Awards

Dika Loa Toua, three-time Commonwealth Games medallist won the best female athlete of the year prize at the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) SP Sports Awards. She was the first woman ever to lift weight at the Olympic Games, competing in the 48kg bodyweight category at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She ended up sixth in the women's 53kg in Athens 2004, lifting a total of 177.5kg where she was her country's flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony. In 2014, she claimed the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 53kg bodyweight category and ranked second in the same bodyweight category at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in April. Toua beat triathlete Rachael Sapery James and tennis player Abigail Tere-Apisah to land the best female athlete award. "I am very grateful and thankful to the good Lord for his continuous blessings of strength he has given me to represent Papua New Guinean" she said. "Thank you also to the PNG Weightlifting Federation, the PNGOC and corporate sponsors for all your support." The male award went to Ase Boas rugby player. Sources: insidethegames.com,

IWF Working Group meets to propose new Bodyweight Categories

The IWF Bodyweight Categories Working Group met in Budapest on 31 May – 01 June to begin the final phase of determining the new 10 women’s and 10 men’s bodyweight categories, which will provide greater athletic opportunities, improve inclusivity and enhance competition. The Working Group reviewed the wide-range of proposals which have been submitted by the IWF’s stakeholders as well as conduct their own comprehensive research. In line with the internal decision making process, the proposal will be submitted to the IWF Committees and Executive Board at the next meeting in July 2018. The Working Group is composed of members of the IWF Sport Programme Commission and two representatives from each of the three elected IWF Committees appointed by their respective Chair. The decision to increase the bodyweight portfolio from eight men and women’s categories to 10 was taken by the IWF Executive Board in November 2017. The Working Group finalized its proposal on the 10 categories in each gender drawing on a number of different factors using scientific and statistical evidence. The seven men’s and seven women’s medal events for Tokyo 2020 will be drawn from the 10 men’s and 10 women’s bodyweight categories once they have been agreed. The meeting was opened by IWF President Tamas Ajan in the presence of the IWF General Secretary Mohammed Jaloud and the President of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, Dr. Krisztián Kulcsár. During the meeting there was also discussion on the method to be applied to establish new World and Olympic records, new minimum entry totals for IWF World Championships and the structure and conditions for a refreshed global calendar of events. IWF President Ajan said: “The IWF is committed to evolving weightlifting to ensure that it remains as relevant and appealing to a global audience as possible. Over the course of our history we have made several changes to the bodyweight categories in order to adapt to the latest scientific understanding of the human body and the progress of the sport. We think now is the right time for us to again review the bodyweight categories. This Working Group has a critical role to play in coming up with a tailored, well-structured proposal based on scientific study and discussion.” IWF Director General and member of the Working Group, Attila Adamfi added: “It is important that we continually look at ways we can improve our sport for our athletes and for our fans. By increasing the number of bodyweight categories from eight to ten, the IWF will provide more medal opportunities and create an even field size which in turn will make for more balanced competitions. It will also enhance our flexibility and adaptability and allow us to promote sport innovation, gender equality and sustainability. The Working Group delivered a comprehensive proposal for the IWF that could provide a benchmark for many years to come.”

Deadline Reminder: Final Entries for 2018 Junior IWF World Championships!

The deadline for submitting the Final Entries to the 2018 Junior World Championships in Tashkent, UZB running out today, 01.06.2018. Member Federations are hereby reminded to submit their applications with an immediate urgency. We kindly ask you to register your athletes through the IWF Online Entry System:   http://www.iwf.net/e-entry As an alternative, the traditional Entry Forms together with all other documents are accessible at the following link. The World Championship will be held between the 6th to the 14th of July. Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Watch the 56th Spanish Junior Championships online!

The Spanish Weightlifting Federation hosts the 56th Spanish Junior Championships this Saturday, 2 June and it is available to watch online!     The completion will take place in the Municipal Pavilion of Cerro Almodóvar in Madrid, from 08:10 in the morning (GMT+2). There will be 51 male and 40 females taking part in the competition, which will be the qualifying event for the 2018 IWF Junior World Championships Tashkent, UZB in July. You can watch the competition LIVE through LaLiga4Sports, here: Morning session Afternoon session   Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Buenos Aires 2018 YOG mascot has been launched!

The official mascot for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games has been revealed by the Organising Committee today. Named #Pandi, inspired by the jaguar, the country's most emblematic wild animal found in Northern Argentina. The mascot aims to inspire youth to embrace sport as a tool to make the world a better place, while also raising awareness about the species risk of extinction. The hashtag in his name meant to demonstrate the strong online presence. In the animation revealed, we can see the young jaguar making his way through the city, finally reaching the iconic Obelisc, the location of the Opening Ceremony.   Throughout his journey, #Pandi doesn't give up when faced with challenges as it tries to reach the ribbons with colors that symbolize Buenos Aires 2018. With perseverance and the festive spirit it reveals upon reaching its goal, #Pandi symbolizes the desire for Buenos Aires 2018, the first edition of an Olympic celebration with strict gender equality, to serve as an important source of inspiration to build a better world through sport. "Like the young athletes that give their best to qualify for the Games, the Buenos Aires 2018 mascot overcomes all types of adversity to reach its goals", said the president of the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee, Gerardo Werthein. https://youtu.be/cOw3hIfotFI Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Turkey’s 2017 Fair Play Grand Prize awarded to Valerios Leonidis

Turkey's National Olympic Committee (NOC) announced the 2017 winners of the Fair Play Awards last Monday, awarding Greek former weightlifter Valerios Leonidis the grand prize. The winners were announced at a news conference held in Ataköy Olympic House, hosted by NOC Fair Play Commission President Erdoğan Arıpınar and other members of the commission. The three categories of awards distributed were "Fair Play Conduct," "Fair Play Career" and "Community Fair Play." For the Fair Play Conduct category, the grand prize was awarded to Leonidis, a Greek former weightlifter and current weightlifting trainer. In November 2017, he attended the funeral of his longtime rival, Turkish world record holder Naim Süleymanoğlu. Among the dozens of fellow athletes and dignitaries at Süleymanoğlu's funeral, Leonidis stood out as he quietly approached the late weightlifter's coffin draped with a Turkish flag and kissed it. Leonidis told reporters at the funeral that he was "devastated" to learn about the death of his Turkish "friend," as the two had pushed each other to greatness in the sport. "I never forget [the 1996 Olympics in] Atlanta. He took gold and I took the silver [medal]. Before the medal ceremony, I told him 'you are the best' and he responded, 'We are the best,'" Leonidis said. Read more: https://www.dailysabah.com/ IWF congratulates Mr. Leonidis! Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter