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2013 IWF Junior World Championships kicked off in Lima, Peru

The 2013 IWF Junior World Championships just kicked off in Lima, Peru here at the Maria Angola Convention Center. At the Opening Ceremony held yesterday at the Magic Water Circuit Emilio Fernandez; Ms. Suzana Cordova, Director of Culture and Sport of the City Hall and Mr. Francisco Boza Dibos, President of the Peruvian Sports Institute gave speeches about the importance to organize such important international competitions in Lima. After the very successful Sport for All Conference, which ran from 24 to 27 April, where 500 leading experts from almost 90 countries shared their best practices on a wide range of activities, the very successful 2007 University World Championships, the 2011 IWF Youth World Championships, now Lima hosts the 2013 IWF Junior World Championships. Mr. Jose Quinones, President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee and President of the Peruvian Weightlifting Federation said: “It is an honor and privilege to receive again the weightlifting family in Lima. We wish to deliver an event to be remembered, and a competition that have all facilities for the athletes to perform at their best." Dr. Tamas Ajan, IWF President officially declared the Championships open. Follow the competition on the Live Scoreboard and LIVE

Successful event hosted by Sarajevo

On 27 April 2013, the Weightlifting Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the 7th International Memorial Tournament „Andrija Malec” in Sarajevo. With the participation of 4 countries (ALB, BIH, SRB, TUR) with 5 teams, this event gives great opportunities for weightlifting promotion and development since each team should include 1 woman, 1 youth man and 1 junior man athlete. Serbia 1 won the Team Competition and the full results can be found here. The great efforts of Nedim Masic, General Secretary of the Weightlifting Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kemal Hoso, President of the Organizing Committee to organize this successful event were highly appreciated by the

OWF ZKC Email International Club Tournament

Paul Coffa, General Secretary of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF) announces: The Oceania Weightlifting Federation has decided to change the date of the ZKC Email International Club Tournament to July 26-28, 2013. This tournament has now become a regular feature on the international weightlifting calendar attracting over 120 clubs from the five continents every year. And this year again we would like to surpass the records to the previous years. This email tournament although held within the weightlifting clubs of each country, it does give the opportunity to lifters and clubs, to compete against each other at an international level without any expenses whatsoever. Download the Competition Regulation of the tournament and encourage as many clubs as possible through your Federation/Association by forwarding them the attachment. If you have need any further information regarding this tournament please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Paul Coffa on the following email address [email protected] or [email protected] Check out the OWF website

Samaranch Memorial inaugurated in Tianjin

The first ever Samaranch Memorial was inaugurated on 21 April in Tianjin (People’s Republic of China) in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge, the Samaranch family, his son Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, also an IOC Executive Board (EB) member and her daughter Maria Teresa Samaranch as well as many IOC members who came to pay tribute to the late IOC President, three years to the day after he passed away. This project brings to life the wish of IOC EB member and renowned architect Ching-kuo Wu, to whom Samaranch donated his lifelong Olympic collections, to share this Olympic treasure with the entire world through the Memorial designed by the Holm Architecture Office and Archiland Beijing. “We all know what we owe to Juan Antonio Samaranch” said President Rogge in his inaugurating speech. “If our Movement is today strong and united, it is thanks to his visionary qualities and extraordinary talent. His knowledge of the world of sport and his deep attachment to the Olympic Movement and values were unquestionable. Juan Antonio Samaranch left us a great legacy that we must conserve and perpetuate. And this Memorial is the greatest homage that we can pay to him. ” Some facts and figures The Memorial will display more than 16,000 items from Samaranch’s personal collection - books, stamps, souvenirs, paintings, letters, photographs and personal items, as well as a precious collection of texts on Olympic-related themes. The Memorial and the Olympic Sculpture Park covers an area of about 144,000 square metres, with a construction area of about 19,000 square metres. The main building consists of the overlapping of three circular figures, one in the shape of the number "8" to commemorate the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing; the second in the shape of the letter "S", representing the first letter of the name "Samaranch"; and the third one symbolising the infinite and the eternal. The design of the rings features a circular ramp connecting the two buildings and the three levels for a total of five circles. The main building is surrounded by the Olympic Sculpture Park where visitors will discover the works of renowned sculptors. Not far from there rises an 89-foot fountain representing Samaranch’s 89 years of life. Source:

2013 IWF YWC – first step in the YOG Qualification

The 2013 IWF Youth World Championships and YOG Qualification Event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan ended with the participation of 187 Women from 37 countries and 246 Men from 42 countries. In terms of participation, this is the highest rate ever achieved at Youth World Championships. This competition marked the first step in the Qualification period for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. The following countries already qualified Women: MEX, PRK, RUS, THA, UKR, KAZ, VIE, ROU, ECU, VEN, INA, COL, MYA, POL, EGY. Men: RUS, EGY, KAZ, IRI, IND, ROU, MEX, ARM, UZB, UKR, THA, POL, VIE, COL, VEN, PRK. People’s Republic of China as host nation has full quota. The qualification Team Classification can be downloaded for Women and Men. Team Awards were presented to the 6 Best Teams of the competition. In the Women’s categories, 1st place was awarded to People’s Republic of China, 2nd place went to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea while 3rd place to Mexico. Russia, Ukraine and Thailand followed. In the Women’s categories, 1st place was awarded to Russia, 2nd place went to Egypt while 3rd place to Kazakhstan. Islamic Republic of Iran, Romania and India followed. The Best Female and Best Male athlete of the competition received the IWF/Eleiko Press Commission Trophy from Mr. Sam Coffa, IWF Vice-President and Mr. Kornel Jancso, Editor in Chief of World Weightlifting Magazine. The Trophy of Best Female athlete of the competition was awarded to Qiu Liling from China, and Simon Martirosyan from Armenia received the Trophy of Best Male athlete. Mr. Sam Coffa, IWF Vice President and Chairman of the Technical Committee handed out the first “Certificate of Duty” to Dr. Mike Irani, Medical Committee Member. This card is a great advancement in the recognition of the work and services of Doctor on Duties, volunteers, speakers and people involved in international