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YOG qualification competitions concluded in Oceania

With the +94kg competition on the Youth Oceania Championships in Mont Dore, NCL, the YOG qualification competitions concluded for the 2nd Youth Olympic Games to be organized in Nanjing, China. The race started last year with the 2013 Youth World Championships in Tashkent, UZB where 16 NOCs qualified with 25 men athletes and 15 NOCs with 22 women athletes. In 2014 all five Continents organized qualification events in Bangsaen, THA, Tunis, TUN, Lima, PER, Ciechanow, POL and Mont Dore, NCL respectively where additional 22 NOCs qualified with 22 men athletes and 17 NOCs with 17 women athletes. Thanks to the thoroughly elaborated Qualification Regulation, wide representation is ensured from all 5 Continents. Considering the Universality places, Host Country representation and possible reallocation, we expect more than 60 NOCs to take part in the weightlifting competitions of the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in

UAE NOC agrees to set up weightlifting centre

Dubai: The UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC) has agreed in principle to set up a specialised training centre for weightlifting in the country. The governing body for sports in the UAE, which met this week following the conclusion of the second UAE School Olympic Games, agreed that the UAE needs a specialised centre to tap the huge potential of its athletes. The weightlifting agreements was one of the announcements made at the end of the UAE NOC’s annual meeting of all sports associations and federations at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel late on Wednesday. As per the Emirates Weightlifting Federation’s (EWF) proposal, the training centre will have separate facilities for boys and girls in all age categories. The UAE NOC board of directors earmarked a financial package for the same in its annual budget. “Such a specialised centre is very much the need of the hour for an ambitious sports nation like the UAE,” Faisal Al Hammadi, General Secretary of the EWF, told Gulf News. “Weightlifting is one of the basic sporting disciplines that are essential in the formation of sportspersons. While body agility and muscle control can come from being involved in gymnastics, body strength can be obtained from weightlifting. So we need this centre as soon as possible and, once it comes up, it will be a dream come true for all sportspersons in the UAE.” Approval for a new centre could not have come at a better time, as Al Shabab Club has already requested the EWF to vacate its temporary premises. “For the time being we have managed to move to Salahuddin Hall, but we need a permanent place where our athletes can practice on a regular basis,” Al Hammadi said. “Weightlifting is an Olympic sport capable of bringing in medals for the UAE and we should have been paying attention to this long back. But it’s never too late.” Earlier, Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health, accepted an invitation from Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal to attend the GCC Games in Saudi Arabia in 2015. Source:

Weightlifting Glasgow 2014 in the lab

The Glasgow 2014 Weightlifting team, in conjunction with Longines, were in the lab today at the XX Commonwealth Games offices testing the results management system for the upcoming Games this July in Scotland's major city. (L to R: Pedro Kim, Results Manager - Swiss Timing; Moira Lassen, Competition Manager; John Monk, Venue Results Manager, and; Peter Benson, Cluster Venue Results Manager.) Check out the video „Weightlifting at Glasgow

Oceania Weightlifting Championships a strong indicator for Glasgow

The Oceania Weightlifting Championships get underway in New Caledonia today with a new generation of young lifters ready to reaffirm their promise ahead of the Commonwealth Games in July. Five Pacific lifters won gold medals at the Commonwealth Championships in November including Samoa's Mary Opeloge, the younger sister of Delhi 2010 gold medalists Ele and Niusila Opeloge. The General Secretary of the Oceania Weightlifting Association, Paul Coffa, believes as many as six lifters are in line to win gold medals in Glasgow, with Papua New Guinea's stable looking particularly strong. "One is Steven Kari, 21 year old, the other one is Dika Toua. She won a silver in 2006, she didn't compete in 2010 - she was married having children - and she's making a comeback. She's ranking number one in the 53 [kilogram class]. We have also the 62 kilo class for men that's really something. That's possibly the highlight of the Commonwealth Games in weightlifting to have Lapua Lapua from Tuvalu is ranking number one, so is Nevo Ioane from Samoa equal on that and we have the young Morea Baru from Papua New Guinea, so we've got medals in there for the Pacific to grab. David Katoatau in the 105 kilos and Tovia Opeloge from Samoa so we've got another chance for gold in there so we are really looking well for the Commonwealth, no question on that". The Oceania Championships is also a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games in China.

British Weight Lifting secures sponsorship with Elite Sports Performance Technologies

British Weight Lifting (BWL) has announced a partnership agreement with strength and power training equipment supplier Elite Sport Performance Technologies (ESP). Under the deal, ESP will be an official sponsor of BWL and the exclusive supplier of strength and power training equipment, weights and services. This will include competition lifting platforms, plates and bars for all major English and British events. BWL chief executive, Ashley Metcalfe said: "We are delighted to confirm our new partnership with ESP. "ESP are a great match for BWL; as we focus on growing and professionalising the sport it is important that we form relationships with suppliers who believe in and support our aims and in working with ESP, we are able to provide our athletes and coaches with quality equipment and services that will undoubtedly enhance their training and performances." The partnership was debuted at the recent British Senior Weightlifting and Para-Powerlifting Championships at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on May 10 and 11 and was showcased at BodyPower Expo at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) from May 16 to 18, where the staging for both events were supplied by ESP. The Expo in Birmingham was attended by some of Britain's top weightlifters, including British champions Zoe Smith, Jack Oliver, Owen Boxall and Rebekah Tiler, who took part in demonstrations, training workshops and question and answer sessions. Visitors were also given the opportunity to improve their lifting technique under expert guidance and advice from some of the sport's leading coaches. Olympian and British champion Zoe Smith was one of the star names at the BodyPower Expo in the Birmingham NEC earlier this month ©Getty Images Olympian and British champion Zoe Smith was one of the star names at the BodyPower Expo in the Birmingham NEC earlier this month ©Getty Images ESP was co-founded by former America's Cup sailor Dr Vern Neville and former Olympic and Commonwealth Games weightlifter Tommy Yule and its UK base is in Leicestershire. "Elite Sport Performance Technologies is delighted to sponsor British Weight Lifting," said Neville. "BWL's goals and strategies are similarly aligned to ESP and apart from ESP's direct support of strength equipment and Olympic weights to BWL athletes and coaches; the partnership will strategically focus on promoting the benefits of and participation in free-weight training in the UK." BWL is hoping to name a potentially 15-strong squad for this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and will be looking to improve on a disappointing performance at Delhi 2010 which saw the team pick up just a single bronze medal thanks to Smith. Source: insidethegames Gary

Call for World Weightlifting’s missing issue

We are calling World Weightlifting readers to send the IWF a copy of the 2007/2 issue since there are none remaining in the IWF archives. Our request targets mainly the National Federations who always receive several copies of each magazine. Your gesture will be rewarded, thank you in