Ahmedabad to Host World Weightlifting Championships 2029, a First for India

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad has secured the hosting rights for the World Weightlifting Championships 2029, becoming the first city in India to host the prestigious international competition.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced the decision on Sunday following its Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China, confirming Gujarat as the host for the 2029 edition.

The meeting also finalised venues for several other international weightlifting events. Moscow, Russia, was selected to host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, while Prishtina, Kosovo, will stage the 2028 World Youth Championships. Caracas, Venezuela, was awarded the 2028 World Junior Championships.

The announcement comes months after Gandhinagar hosted the Asian Weightlifting Championships earlier this year. Ahmedabad is also set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, further strengthening Gujarat’s position as a destination for major international sporting events.

Organised by the IWF, the World Weightlifting Championships date back to 1891. The women’s competition was introduced in 1987, before the men’s and women’s championships were combined into a single event in 1991.

The previous edition took place in Forde, Norway, in 2025, while the 2026 championships are scheduled to be held in Ningbo, China, from October 27 to November 8. Yerevan, Armenia, will host the 2027 edition, followed by Caracas, Venezuela, in 2028.

India has secured 18 medals at the World Weightlifting Championships so far, comprising three gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals.

Kunjarani Devi became the first Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the championships, claiming silver in the women’s 44kg category in Manchester in 1989. Lalita Polley also won bronze at the same edition.

Among India’s most successful performers, Karnam Malleswari claimed back-to-back world titles in the women’s 54kg category in 1994 and 1995. Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu added another world title to India’s tally by winning gold in the women’s 48kg category in 2017.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the announcement, calling it “big news for India”. In a post on X, Sanghavi said Ahmedabad’s selection follows the successful hosting of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2025 and the Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2026, adding that the world’s top weightlifters would now be coming to Gujarat. DeshGujarat