Nepal Weightlifting Association (NWA) is organizing Asian Weightlifting Championships for youth and junior players at the Army Physical Training and Sports Complex in Lagankhel from July 21 to 29.

The tournament, officially sanctioned by Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF), will feature events in youth and junior sections in both men’s and women’s categories, NWA said on Thursday.  “The championships is the biggest and prestigious event to be organized by Nepal,” said Ratan Kumar Tandon, the NWA President. “The annual general assembly of AWF in 2016 accepted our proposal and awarded us the right to host 19th Youth, 24th junior women’s and 31st Junior Men’s Asian Weightlifting Championships.” The youth section will see lifters aged 13-17 and junior will include lifter from 15 to 20 years of age. 

According to Parth Sarathi Sen Gupta, the general secretary of NWA, the organisers were expecting participation from 28 countries with 16 already giving confirmation. “Our motive is to organise at least one international championship each year in future and successful hosting of this event will open the door for us to stage bigger competitions including Youth World Championship.” 

The weightlifters will vie for a total of 96 gold medals—48 each in men’s and women’s categories. All four categories will have eight weight categories. Women’s youth category will have weight division of 44kg, 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg and above 75kg. Women’s junior will have 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, 90kg and above 90kg weight categories. The men’s youth category will have 50kg, 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg and above 94kg divisions while men’s junior will have 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg, 105kg and above 105kg weight divisions. 

Terming Asia as a global powerhouse of weightlifting, Gupta said that high profile players from Asia would compete in the event and there were chances of new youth and Asian level records in the tournament. Tandon recalled that Nepal was earlier set to host Asian Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships from July 22 to 30 in 2015. But the event was cancelled due to April 25 earthquake. “We had received weightlifting equipments worth $66,000 in 2015 from ZKC Company of China, AWF and International Weightlifting Federation as grant. This time we got gears worth $ 36,000 from AWF and International Weightlifting Federation (IWF),” added Tandon. 

The expected cost of the event is Rs 17.59 million. NWA is expecting to raise 15 percent of the budget from players’ registration fees and 15 percent each from AWF and IWF grants. The organisers are planning to raise an additional 30 percent amount from sponsors and advertisements apart from another 25 percent as grant from the National Sports Council.

Hosts face lifter crunch

Owing to the crunch of youth and age-group lifters, Nepal will not participate in all weight divisions in the Asian Weightlifting Championships for youth and junior players.

Any team can field up tot eight players in all eight weight categories. However, Nepal will not be able to take advantage as the hosts due to the crunch. “

We have about 12 youth and junior players and will finalise the numbers in due course,” said Sunil Lal Joshi, the chief coach NWA vice president.

NWA General Secretary Gupta said that the tournament was just the beginning of junior and youth events in Nepal.

“There is trend of getting into weightlifting only after 20 years of age in the country. We may therefore not compete in all 32 weight divisions. The event will change the concept of getting into the game after 20,” Gupta said.