On February 17, 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria, played host to the congress of the European Weightlifting Federation, coinciding with the 2024 EWF European Championships.
The congress saw the attendance of notable figures including IWF President Mr. Mohammed Jalood, who also serves as the first vice president of the Asian Weightlifting Federation, IWF General Secretary Dr Antonio Urso, IWF 1st Vice President Ms. Ursula Papandrea, IWF Vice Presidents Pyrros Dimas also 3 times Olympic Champion, Mr. Attila Adamfi, Mr Petr Krol, IWF EB members Florian Sperl and Matthew Curtain and AWF Executive Board member and Marketing Commission Chairman Mr. Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq.
During the congress’s opening remarks, IWF General Secretary Dr. Antonio Urso announced his forthcoming departure from our sport next year.
The Asian Weightlifting Federation wants to express gratitude to the Dr. Antonio Urso for his dedicated service and contributions to the weightlifting.
Mr. Mohammed Jalood took the opportunity to highlight the strides made towards fair play and clean sport, celebrating the achievement of recording zero doping cases at recent events. This milestone underscores the federation’s commitment to maintaining the sport’s integrity and providing a clean sport.
During the congress, Mr. Jalood was honored with the EWF Golden Collar for his significant contributions to weightlifting, highlighting his impactful role in the sport’s development.
The AWF EB Member Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq also acknowledged the contributions of EWF President Mr. Antonio Conflitti, General Secretary Dr. Milan Mihajlovic, and Mr. Arif Majed, President of the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation, by presenting them with tokens of appreciation for their service to weightlifting.
A discussion was also made for potential collaboration between the European and Asian Weightlifting Federations, aiming to leverage the strengths of both federations to elevate the sport’s media presence on a global scale.
As the EWF Congress in Sofia concludes successfully, the Asian Weightlifting Federation extends its congratulations to all involved in organising this event. With an eye towards the Paris ’24 Olympics, AWF wish all the athletes competing in the championships the very best.
