Ashraf AboArafe
The World Weightlifting Championship for adults begins today at the Ministry of Sports Hall in the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh. In the presence of the President of the International Weightlifting Federation, Mohamed Jalloud, and the heads of the national federations participating in the championship.
The tournament organizing committee has completed all its preparations. To open the first international championship of its kind in the history of weightlifting, since participation in it is mandatory to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as it will witness the participation of 2,500 male and female athletes, representing more than 170 countries from around the world.
The organizing committee began its preparations for the tournament more than a year ago since Riyadh was announced to host the tournament, in terms of issuing visas, selecting nine hotels to accommodate the participating delegations, naming the logistical, media, medical, administrative and volunteer teams, in addition to agreeing with international companies specialized in weightlifting equipment. This is to organize the tournament in a way that befits the reputation of this sport in the Kingdom.
The committee allocated 20 buses that operate 16 hours a day to transport athletes from the residence halls to the training and competition hall, where more than 70 training platforms were provided for the athletes, and the International Weightlifting Federation approved their training schedule starting from eight in the morning until ten in the evening.
The Doping Committee will be present at the tournament, as it will examine more than 50 samples daily, in addition to publishing printed awareness leaflets in the training halls, with the aim of raising awareness about the danger of the use of steroids on human life in general, and the athlete – in particular.
The tournament organizing committee established an integrated media center equipped in all aspects, including a dining corner, a fast Internet connection service, and a corner dedicated to answering the inquiries of more than 60 media professionals from various countries of the world.
For its part, the organizing committee announced that the public will be allowed to attend the opening and competitions of the championship throughout the tournament days for free. The committee also provided equipped seats for the public and close to the competition platforms, to get the best opportunity to see the stars of the world weightlifting up close.
In turn, the President of the International Federation of Weightlifting, Muhammad Jalloud, praised the great efforts made by the organizing committee to make the tournament a success, noting that the great success that accompanied the World Youth Weightlifting Championship, which was hosted by Jeddah Governorate in 2021 AD, had the greatest impact on the international community’s choice of the game of weightlifting, to be the Kingdom. The first transit stop to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Jalloud praised the new sports equipment provided by the organizing committee for this tournament, adding that this indicates the committee’s concern for the comfort and safety of all participants in the tournament, which will contribute to providing high technical levels throughout the tournament days.
Meanwhile, Director of Competitions at the International Federation, Matthews Linser, praised the daily training and competition halls, pointing out that the close distance between the halls and residences; It confirms beyond a doubt that the organizing committee has taken it upon itself to provide all means that contribute to the success of the tournament.
