Ahmedabad to host the 2029 World Weightlifting Championships – a first for India
26 October 2026 · English Awards, Appointments & Persons
Topics: Awards, Aviation, Industry & Sports · 26 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)
News
After an Executive Board meeting of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in Ningbo, China, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) was named on 25 Oct 2026 as host of the 2029 senior World Weightlifting Championships – the first time India will stage the senior Worlds. The same meeting gave the 2030 Worlds to Moscow (Russia), the 2028 World Youth Championships to Prishtina (Kosovo) and the 2028 World Junior Championships to Caracas (Venezuela). The 2026 Worlds are being held in Ningbo from 27 Oct. Ahmedabad will also host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Key facts
| Decision | IWF Executive Board, Ningbo (China); announced 25 Oct 2026 |
| Event | 2029 senior World Weightlifting Championships – Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Significance | First senior Weightlifting Worlds in India |
| Other awards | 2030 – Moscow; 2028 Youth – Prishtina; 2028 Junior – Caracas |
| 2026 Worlds | Ningbo, China (from 27 Oct) |
| Ahmedabad | 2030 Commonwealth Games; India's proposed 2036 Olympic city |
Background
- Sport: weightlifting has two lifts – the snatch (bar overhead in one movement) and the clean and jerk (to the shoulders, then overhead); the total of the best of each decides the result. Powerlifting (squat, bench press, deadlift) is a different sport. Women's weightlifting entered the Olympics at Sydney 2000.
- Indian stars: Karnam Malleswari (Andhra Pradesh) – bronze at Sydney 2000 (69 kg), the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. Mirabai Chanu (Manipur) – 2017 world champion; silver at Tokyo 2020 (49 kg).
- Body: the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) – HQ Lausanne, Switzerland (earlier Budapest). Ahmedabad lies on the Sabarmati; the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships were held in nearby Gandhinagar.
Tamil Nadu link: Sathuvachari near Vellore is called 'the cradle of Tamil Nadu weightlifting'. Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, who grew up there, won Commonwealth Games gold in the men's 77 kg twice – Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018; an Arjuna awardee, he is the fourth from Sathuvachari to receive it.
Source: Outlook India, Open Magazine, Free Press Journal (25–26 Oct 2026); IWF; Scroll, Deccan Chronicle (2018, Sathish Sivalingam)
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