Ahmedabad to host senior Weightlifting World Championships in 2029: IWF

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has announced that India will host the 2029 World Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad. This marks the first time the country will host a global weightlifting event. The decision was made during the IWF Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China, on Sunday, just on the sidelines of the IWF World Championships currently underway in Ningbo. The tournament will also serve as the first qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

India faced stiff competition from Venezuela and Russia, but emerged victorious in the bid. Russia will host the 2030 championships, while Venezuela secured the 2028 Junior World Championships. The IWF General Secretary, José Quiñones, commended all the nations for their excellent bids and emphasized that three out of the four countries organizing their first World events will be India, Kosovo, and Venezuela.

Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghvi expressed his excitement on social media, stating that Ahmedabad will welcome the 2029 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, following the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships. The event will see participation from the top weightlifters globally.

Mirabai Chanu, a prominent Indian weightlifter, will lead the seven-member Indian team representing the country in the 2026 World Championships, which kicks off tomorrow in Ningbo, China.