Intense week of activities for the IWF President

The IWF President Mohammed Jalood had an intense week of activities, with successive visits to Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and Armenia.

It all started in Astana, the vibrant capital of Kazakhstan, where the President of the Republic Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the IWF delegation, also comprising the President of the Asian Weightlifting Federation, Mr Mohamed Yousef Al Mana. The two IWF dignitaries were given the 2nd Degree Dostyk (Friendship) Order, awarded to individuals for the promotion of international and civil consensus in society and the promotion of peace, friendship, and cooperation between peoples.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev between Mr Mohamed Yousef Al Mana (AWF President, left) and Mr Mohammed Jalood (IWF President, right)

Mr Jalood and Mr Al Mana had the opportunity to discuss the development of weightlifting in the country, a sport with a lot of tradition and good results in Kazakhstan.

The IWF President then flew to Switzerland, where he attended in Lausanne (together with the IWF CEO Achilleas Tsogas) the IOC LA28 IF Transition Seminar, a two-day meeting aimed at preparing in the best possible way the transition from Paris 2024 to the upcoming Games, in Los Angeles in 2028. One of the highlights of the gathering was the handling by IOC President Thomas Bach of a Paris 2024 Olympic Torch to each of the highest representatives of the Sports present at last year’s Olympics in the French capital.

Mr Mohammed Jalood (IWF President) with Mr Thomas Bach (IOC President)

MrMr Jalood then travelled to Yerevan, the historical capital of Armenia, where he had the opportunity to attend the country’s weightlifting federation’s electoral session and congratulate the new President of the national body, Mr. Arayik Harutyunyan. This highly-respected official is well known within the weightlifting family, as he has been Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office. In this quality, he had represented the highest authorities of the country, namely playing a decisive role in the award of the 2027 IWF World Championships to the city of Yerevan. A meeting with the President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr Vahagn Khachaturyan, was also organised.

The President of the Republic of Armenia Mr Vahagn Khachaturyan (fourth from the left in the photo) welcomed the IWF delegation in Yerevan. Next to him (fourth from the right), Mr Arayik Harutyunyan, the newly-elected president of the country’s weightlifting federation

“Weightlifting has many years of tradition in Armenia. The country has always won Olympic medals ever since the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. This shows the significant place for weightlifting in Armenia. Arayik Harutyunyan has done a lot for Armenian weightlifting in recent years, and we are sure that the 2027 IWF World Championships – also an Olympic qualification event – will be a wonderfully organised event,” declared Mr Jalood to the Armenian media.  

The IWF President was accompanied in Yerevan by Mr Al Mana and by the IWF Secretary General Antonio Urso.

IWF Communications