Ismailia: Team Qatar athletes are taking part in the IWF World Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, which officially opened this evening in the Egyptian city of Ismailia and will run until May 8.
The event features the participation of 270 male and female lifters representing 53 countries.
The Qatari team is competing with two promising lifters. Fares Ahmed Jaber will participate in the Under-20 110kg category, as well as the Under-17 +94kg category, while Nader Mohammed Bakr will compete in the 94kg category.
The team enters the with strong ambitions to achieve notable results and raise Qatar’s flag on the global stage. Team Qatar are set to begin their official campaign on May 7, following an intensive preparation period that included an overseas training camp as part of their build-up to the world championships, aiming to reach peak technical and physical readiness.
The opening ceremony was attended by HE Mohammed Yousef Al Mana, First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Qatari, Arab, Asian, and Afro-Asian Weightlifting Federations, alongside a number of officials from the International Federation, national federations, and participating delegations, as well as several sports officials and figures from host nation Egypt. On the sidelines of the ceremony, Al Mana honored HE Dr.
Ashraf Sobhy, Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, and Major General Sherif Fahmy Beshara, Governor of Ismailia. In turn, Mohamed Abdelmaksoud, President of the Egyptian Weightlifting Federation and Head of the Organizing Committee, honored Al Mana in recognition of his efforts in developing the sport of weightlifting at various levels.
Al Mana stated that the World Youth and Junior Championships represent an important platform for preparing champions and developing emerging talent, particularly as they bring together some of the most promising lifters from around the world. He also praised the high organizational standards of the from its opening day.
In a press statement, Al Mana stressed that Team Qatar are entering the competition with high ambitions following a strong preparation phase, noting that the team includes lifters capable of delivering performances that reflect the steady development of weightlifting in Qatar, particularly at the age-group level, which represents the foundation for future national teams.
He added that the Qatar Weightlifting Federation continues to implement a clear strategy aimed at developing young talent and providing them with international exposure, emphasizing that global participation plays a key role in gaining experience and preparing athletes to compete at the highest continental and international levels in the coming years.
