All posts tagged: Weightlifting

N Ajith, Vanshita Verma along with two other lifters test positive

N Ajith, Vanshita Verma along with two other lifters test positive

Published by Webster

In a shocking development, four Indian weightlifters including Commonwealth and Asian Championships medallist N Ajith (71kg) and Vanshita Verma (86kg) have tested positive for banned substances, according to reports in the media. Ajith tested positive for human growth hormone while Vanshita Verma (86kg) has tested positive for stanozolol. The Tamil nadu lifter won two bronze medals in the 71kg category at the 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar last month. Vanshita Verma is a bronze medallist in women’s 86 kg at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2025. The tests were conducted in an out-of-competition test by the National Anti-Doping Agency last month. Other two lifters include one from men’s 110kg and a junior woman lifter from 77kg. The details of whom are not known. The positive tests are likely to adversely affect India’s prospects at the Glasgow event scheduled from July 23 to August 2. As per the Commonwealth Games qualification system for weightlifting, “During the period of 01 June 2025 – 22 July 2026 the maximum number of athlete qualification slots allocated to …

All you need to know about the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar

All you need to know about the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar

Published by Webster

India is set to host the prestigious 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar from May 12 to May 17, 2026, bringing together some of the biggest names in world weightlifting. India is hosting the Asian Weightlifting Championships for the first time in 44 years. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held from April 1 to 10 but was later rescheduled due to tensions in the Middle East and Gulf region. Around 260 athletes from nearly 30 countries are registered for the championship, making it one of the biggest continental weightlifting events in Asia this year. The competition also carries major significance as it contributes towards qualification pathways for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Star-studded field featuring Olympic and World champions The verified entry list includes several Olympic medallists and World Champions, promising high-quality competition across all categories. Among the biggest attractions is Liu Huanhua, the Paris 2024 Olympic Champion and 2023 World Champion. He will be joined by Fares Ibrahim El-Bakh, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion. In the women’s events, Park Hye-jeong, …

Yash Khandagale wins three medals at World Junior Weightlifting Championships

Yash Khandagale wins three medals at World Junior Weightlifting Championships

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Yash Khandagale delivered a standout performance at the World Junior Weightlifting Championships, winning three medals in the men’s 71kg category. The young Indian lifter secured a silver medal in the total lift with an impressive 309kg, improving his personal best by 9kg. He also claimed silver in the snatch with a lift of 140kg and added a bronze in the clean and jerk with 169kg, marking one of the most significant performances of his career so far. Consistent rise backed by strong foundation Hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, Yash’s journey into weightlifting has been shaped by his father’s early exposure to the sport. His father, who trained at a local gym in his youth, ensured that Yash pursued weightlifting from a young age despite financial challenges. Yash has shown consistent progress over the past few years. He won gold medals in both junior and youth categories at the 2024 National Championships and followed it up with another gold at the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games. Earlier in 2025, he also secured his first international gold …

Commonwealth champion Sairaj tests positive for doping after raising sabotage conspiracy

Commonwealth champion Sairaj tests positive for doping after raising sabotage conspiracy

Published by Webster

The 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships gold medallist Sairaj Pardeshi has tested positive for doping months after filing an official complaint about a conspiracy to sabotage his career. As per a report in Hindi daily Amar Ujala, Pardeshi suspected a coach involved with the national camp of trying to get him trapped in the doping net. In a complaint filed with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India, and Indian Weightlifting Federation, Pardeshi alleged that a fellow athlete at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala had a recording of a female coach plotting against him. However when the investigation into the complaint raised by Pardeshi commenced, the fellow athlete refused to furnish the recording in question. Pardeshi’s samples returned positive after an out-of-competition test in February 2026 before the investigation was completed. His samples showed traces of Mesterolone – an androgenic steroid. Interestingly, Pardeshi had won the Commonwealth Championships gold medal in men’s 88kg in August 2025. He was then tested in October and December last year and his samples returned …

Asian Weightlifting C’ships postponed due to the Middle East tension

Asian Weightlifting C’ships postponed due to the Middle East tension

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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 2026 edition will be the first Asian Championships to be contested under IWF’s new weight classes. India hosted the continental championships for the first time during the 1982 Asian Games. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

How to qualify for 2028 LA Olympics in weightlifting?

How to qualify for 2028 LA Olympics in weightlifting?

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The Olympic Qualification System for weightlifting at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has been officially approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board in collaboration with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). A total of 120 lifters comprising 60 each in men’s and women’s can win quota places for 12 weight categories (6 men, 6 women) at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A total of 108 quota places can be earned through the Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR). Additionally, there will be 6 host country (3 men, 3 women) and 6 Universality quota places (3 men, 3 women) up for grabs. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can have a maximum of three athletes per gender, with the possibility of one additional quota place per gender if an athlete is awarded the Best Lifter title during the qualification period which runs from 27 July, 2026 to 7 May, 2028. How the ranking system works? The qualification period is divided into two sub-periods — Period 1 and Period 2. Top three Total results from Period 1, and …

N Ajith, Vanshita Verma along with two other lifters test positive

N. Ajith creates new snatch record at IWLF National Weightlifting C’ships

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The sixth day of the IWLF National Youth, Junior, and Senior Weightlifting Championships saw exceptional displays of strength and precision as the Men’s 71 kg category took center stage at the Yadav Farm House. Athletes across the Youth, Junior, and Senior divisions competed simultaneously, delivering record-setting performances and intense podium battles. N Ajith, representing the Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), captivated the crowd in the men’s 71kg senior category by breaking the National Snatch Record. This feat solidifies his status as one of India’s premier lifters as the nation looks toward the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. N Ajith (RSPB) clinched the top spot with a commanding total of 320 kg, highlighted by a 145 kg Snatch and a category-best 175 kg Clean & Jerk. T Madhavan (RSPB) followed closely with a total of 317 kg, matching Ajith’s 175 kg in the Clean & Jerk but falling slightly short in the Snatch at 142 kg. Yash Khandagale (MHR) secured the bronze medal with a total lift of 300 kg. The Junior division was led by Maharashtra’s …

Mirabai Chanu smashes three National Records at IWLF National Weightlifting C’ships

Mirabai Chanu smashes three National Records at IWLF National Weightlifting C’ships

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Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu Saikhom delivered a dominant performance on the opening days of the IWLF National Youth, Junior, and Senior Weightlifting Championships 2025-26, rewriting the national record books in the Senior Women’s 48 kg category at Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Competing at the Yadav Farm House venue, Mirabai produced a flawless series of lifts to claim the gold medal, setting new national records in all three segments. She lifted 89 kg in the snatch, followed by a powerful 116 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a combined total of 205 kg. Her total placed her well clear of the rest of the field and marked one of the standout performances of the championships so far. The national championships officially began on February 3 with an opening ceremony attended by senior officials from the Indian Weightlifting Federation and Indian Olympic Association, along with athletes and coaches from across the country. Around 790 lifters from 30 states and union territories, as well as three departmental boards, are competing in the 12-day event that runs …

Support us even when we lose: Mirabai Chanu

Support us even when we lose: Mirabai Chanu

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It is not every day that an athlete of Mirabai Chanu’s stature opens up, and when the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist did, it wasn’t about the medals that she has won but about the journey that shaped her career. Speaking during a panel discussion at the FICCI Turf 2025 Global Sports Summit in the capital on Friday, Mirabai opened up about her journey long before the world knew her and emphasized how moral support can shape an athlete’s path. “I remember, when I won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, so many people came to the airport to welcome me. But when I returned from the Asian Games, injured and without winning a medal, there was no one at the airport,” Mirabai shared, reflecting how quickly public support fades when an athlete is struggling. “We need constant support when we win and even more when we lose,” Mirabai added. Mirabai had sustained a hip injury during the Hangzhou Asian Games and had returned empty-handed. Family support “I belong to a small village, which is 24-25 km …

“Weight change for 2028 LA Olympics a positive for Mirabai,” says coach Vijay Sharma

“Weight change for 2028 LA Olympics a positive for Mirabai,” says coach Vijay Sharma

Published by Webster

The International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) decision to remove the women’s 49kg weight category from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics came as a disappointment to many, who saw it as a setback to the country’s medal hopes. After all, it was in this very category that Mirabai Chanu won the historic silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. But Mirabai’s coach Vijay Sharma sees the decision as a positive development rather than a setback. “This decision brings with it a lot of positives for us, especially Mirabai,” coach Vijay Sharma told The Bridge on Tuesday. “We have been competing in the 48-49kg category since 2014, and it was getting difficult to maintain that weight. We will not just try, we will give it our 100 percent. “And this change is not only for us, it’s for everyone. Some lifters will have to move down, others will have to move up. Everyone across the world will need to adjust to this new weight category. But for Mirabai, it’s a positive change,” he added. Mirabai, now 31, has had …