Ahmedabad to Host 2029 World Weightlifting Championships in Landmark

Ahmedabad has secured the rights to host the 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, marking the first time India will stage the prestigious event, as confirmed by the International Weightlifting Federation following their executive board meeting.

Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (File Photo/ANI)

India to Host First World Weightlifting Championships

Ahmedabad has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, marking the first time India will stage the prestigious global event. The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) confirmed Gujarat as the host on Sunday following its Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China, as per Olympics.com. The meeting also saw Moscow, Russia, named as the host city for the 2030 edition of the World Championships. Meanwhile, Prishtina, Kosovo, will host the 2028 World Youth Championships, while Caracas, Venezuela, has been selected to stage the 2028 World Junior Championships.

Hosting History and International Context

Gujarat recently hosted a major international weightlifting event, with Gandhinagar staging the Asian Weightlifting Championships earlier this year. Ahmedabad is also set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Organised by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the World Weightlifting Championships were first held in 1891. The women’s competition was introduced in 1987, while the first combined men’s and women’s edition took place in 1991. The 2025 edition was held in Forde, Norway, while the upcoming championships are scheduled to take place in Ningbo, China, from October 27 to November 8. Yerevan, Armenia, will host the 2027 World Weightlifting Championships, while Caracas, Venezuela, has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2028 edition.

Indian Weightlifting Achievements

Indian weightlifters have won 18 medals at the World Weightlifting Championships to date, comprising three gold, 10 silver and five bronze. Kunjarani Devi became the first Indian to win a medal at the championships, claiming silver in the women’s 44kg category at the 1989 edition in Manchester. Lalita Polley also secured a bronze medal at the same event. Karnam Malleswari went on to win back-to-back world titles in the women’s 54kg category in 1994 and 1995. More recently, fellow Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu clinched the world title in the 48kg category in 2017.

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