News

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

Palau to host 2010 Micronesia Games

Palau will be the host country for the 2010 Micronesian Games to be held in August 1st to the 10th. Countries participating are Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands Guam, Saipan, Palau and the four states of Micronesia - Yap, Kosrae, Chuuk and

New Secretary for Kiribati Weightlifting

Willy Uan, past General Secretary of the Kiribati Olympic Committee and one of the first coaches and administrator for the sport of weightlifting in Kiribati has now been elected the General Secretary of the Kiribati Weightlifting

New Record to Itte Detenamo (Nauru)

Super-heavyweight weightlifter Itte Detenamo (Nauru) has just returned back to the Oceania Weightlifting Institute here in New Caledonia from his short but successful trip to the USA, where he competed at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Weightlifting Championships, in Columbus - Ohio. Itte snatched a personal best lift of 175Kg and clean & jerked 216Kg and set a New South Pacific Total record of 391Kg. This total of 391Kg has moved Itte into first place in the Commonwealth rankings.The tournament was a great success with almost 300 competitors taking part. Over 180,000 people attended the 3 day sports extravaganza aimed at fitness and strength. Apart from weightlifting other sports included in the program were, body building, power lifting, cross fit games, martial arts, arm wrestling, wrestling, boxing, figure skating, karate, strong man classic, fencing, judo, archery, and many other sports. The exhibition was held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Governor Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were amongst the guests during the three day event.  OWF office13 March