Weightlifting
Asian Weightlifting C'ships postponed due to the Middle East tension
The continental meet will now take place from May 12-17 in Ahmedabad.
Mirabai Chanu (Photo credit: Olympics)
The Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships 2026 have been rescheduled to ensure safe and smooth participation of all delegations due to the tension surrounding the Middle East and the Gulf region.
The continental championship, originally scheduled from April 1-10, will now take place from May 12-17, 2026, in Ahmedabad.
The Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF), the governing body of the sport on the continent, informed all member federations and athletes on Tuesday.
The updated event schedule is as follows:
25 April 2026 - Final Verification Online
9 May 2026 - Arrival of Delegations
10 May 2026 - AWF Executive Board Meeting & Anti-Doping Seminar
11 May 2026 - AWF Congress & Opening Ceremony
12–17 May 2026 - Competition Days
18 May 2026 - Departure of Delegations
The 2026 edition will be the first Asian Championships to be contested under IWF’s new weight classes.
The new categories include 60kg, 65kg, 71kg, 79kg, 88kg, 98kg, 110kg, and +110kg for men, while for women, the new weight categories include 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, and +86kg.
In the previous edition, Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu had opted out of the meet held in Jiangshan. Nirupama Devi (women’s 64kg) and Dilbag Singh (men’s 96kg) were the lone Indian weightlifters who competed. However, both failed to make the podium.