Alkass Digital
Un Chol Pang of People’s Republic of Korea swept all three gold medals in the men’s 55kg weight class as the Qatar Cup IWF Grand Prix II 2023 Weightlifting Championships kicked off with thrilling contests in Doha, yesterday.
At the Aspire Female Hall, the 23-year-old former Asian Junior Championship bronze winner, Pang, yesterday secured the snatch gold with an impressive 116 kg, before dominating the the clean and jerk with a weight of 152 kg. That took his total lift to 268 kg as he completed a remarkable triple gold winning performance, without dropping a single weight throughout yesterday’s event.
Indonesia’s Satrio Adi Nugroho put up a strong fight, earning three silver medals. Nugroho came second in the snatch category with 115 kg before securing and another second-place lift in the clean and jerk weight of 139 kg. His total lift was registered as 254 kg, earning him a trio of silver medals.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Dilanka Isuru Kumara won two bronze medals, lifting 133 kg in clean and jerk before achieving a total weight of 245 kg to finish third in the overall standings. He marked a weight of 112 kg in the snatch, where he finished fourth. Another Indonesian contender, Muhamad Ibnul Rizqih, claimed bronze in the snatch with a weight of 113 kg.
The attention now turns to the Group A category in the women’s 49 kg weight class, in which the Group C and B rounds took place yesterday. Apart from the deciding group of the women’s 49kg, men’s 61kg Groups B and C will also take place today at the same venue.
Meanwhile, the President of the African Weightlifting Confederation Khaled Muhalhal praised Doha’s exceptional organization of the second Grand Prix.
Muhalhal said that Doha has the potential to succeed in hosting major world championships, noting that the current edition of the Qatar Cup, the second Grand Prix of the International Weightlifting Federation, is considered one of the qualification events for the Paris Olympics next year.
“We, as the African Union, are proud of Doha hosting the tournament, which also witnesses the participation of players from the African continent,” Muhalhal said, adding that he expects Egyptian female champion Sara Samir would win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
With over 400 athletes representing 108 countries in action, the Qatar Cup also provides opportunity for weighlifters to earn spots in next year’s Paris Games.
Doha meeting elects Ningbo as host of 2026 edition
Meanwhile, the city of Ningbo, in China was announced as the host of the 2026 edition of the IWF World Championships, following a vote by the IWF Executive Board, during its meeting held in Doha, yesterday.
The IWF showcase will be staged following the World Championships in 2024 in Manama (Bahrain) and the 2025 rendezvous in Forde (Norway).
The IWF Executive Board also awarded two competitions to be held in 2025. The IWF World Youth Championships will take place in Lima, Peru, while the IWF World Junior Championships were given to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.