TASHKENT, Uzbekistan : The 2026 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships began in Tashkent on Saturday, with more than 300 athletes from 29 countries taking part in the continental competition.
The championships, which run through Aug. 14, feature male and female lifters competing in youth and junior categories as Asia looks to develop the next generation of weightlifting talent.
The opening ceremony was held at Tashkent Olympic City and attended by sports officials, representatives of national and international federations and members of participating delegations.
Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, first vice president of the Qatar Olympic Committee and president of the Qatar, Arab, Asian and Afro-Asian Weightlifting Federations, said age-group competitions were vital in giving young athletes international experience.
He said hosting continental and global events would help strengthen the sport’s structure while providing emerging lifters with opportunities to compete at a higher level and gain experience for future international competitions.
On the sidelines of the championships, Al Mana chaired a meeting of the Asian Weightlifting Federation executive office at the Uzbek Ministry of Sports.
The meeting, attended by Uzbek Sports Minister Adkham Ikramov and National Olympic Committee Secretary-General Oybek Kasimov, discussed the federation’s upcoming competitions and preparations for the 2027 Asian Championships in South Korea.
The 2027 championships will form part of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Ikramov also presented Al Mana with an honorary award for excellence in physical culture and sport.
