Weightlifting: Kenya to host Africa youth and junior championships

Kenya will host African Junior and Youth weightlifting championship in Nairobi on December 7-11.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) said the event, which will serve as part of the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games will attract at least 12 African teams. Among the teams expected are Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Madagascar and hosts Kenya.

"Kenya weightlifting is scheduled to host the youth and junior Africa weightlifting championship in Nairobi in December," said Nock president Paul Tergat.

The competition, an elementary level for weightlifting, will be used as a qualifier for the 2022 Youth Olympics, which will be held for the first time in Africa in Dakar, Senegal. The tournament includes a number of weight divisions including 10 for women from 45kg to 87+kg, and 10 for men from 55kg to 109+kg. Egypt ruled the roost in the last edition in Cairo, winning 20 medals - 11 gold, six silver and three bronze - ahead of Nigeria and Tunisia. Madagascar and Morocco finished in fourth and fifth places respectively.

Nock believes the COVID-19 pandemic will have eased and sports competition allowed to continue by the time Kenya hosts championships. Meanwhile, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) executive board has made key decisions regarding the direction and future of the sport. 

IWF Interim President Ursula Garza Papandrea in a statement said a draft of the new Anti-Doping Policy (Rules), compliant with the new 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency code, was approved to forward to WADA. "There are some provisions that will require some modifications and meanwhile, those will be addressed by the Anti-doping Policy Assessment Commission," said Papandrea