TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, 6 August 2026 — The Executive Board of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) convened at the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan ahead of the 2026 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships.
The meeting brought together members of the AWF Executive Board and senior representatives of Uzbek sport. Among those attending were Uzbekistan’s Minister of Sports, Adham Ikramov, and Oybek Kasimov, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan.
In his welcoming address, Minister Ikramov warmly greeted the AWF leadership and international guests, expressing Uzbekistan’s pleasure at hosting the continental weightlifting community in Tashkent. He highlighted the country’s achievements across a wide range of sports and underlined the continued development of weightlifting in Uzbekistan.
The Minister also emphasized Uzbekistan’s commitment to clean sport, noting that the country’s weightlifters recorded no positive doping cases at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He described this record as an important achievement and reaffirmed the country’s determination to promote integrity, fair competition and strong anti-doping standards.
During a special ceremony, Minister Ikramov presented AWF President Mohammed Yousef Al Mana with the Ministry of Sports’ honorary badge, “Excellence in Physical Culture and Sports.” The distinction recognized the AWF President’s contribution to the development and promotion of weightlifting in Asia.
The Executive Board reviewed several matters concerning the federation’s future activities and competition programme. Discussions included preparations for the and the 2027 Asian Weightlifting Championships, which are scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea. The 2027 continental championships will also form part of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Following the meeting, the Executive Board members toured Tashkent’s New Uzbekistan Olympic Town. The delegation visited the Martial Arts Complex, where the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships are being staged, and inspected the competition, training and operational facilities prepared for participating teams.
The visit demonstrated Uzbekistan’s growing capacity to host major international sporting events and its commitment to providing high-quality conditions for athletes, officials and guests.
The AWF Executive Board meeting was held one day before the official opening of the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships. The competition takes place in Tashkent from 7 to 14 August 2026.
