India Secures 2029 IWF World Weightlifting Championship Hosting

India has won the right to host the 2029 IWF World Weightlifting Championship, with Ahmedabad selected as the venue. The International Weightlifting Federation confirmed the decision during its executive board meeting in Ningbo, China, on Sunday.

India beat out Russia and Venezuela to host the tournament. With this victory, Gujarat has joined the list of renowned venues that regularly host major international weightlifting competitions.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi hailed the decision in a post on X, describing it as major news for India. He said Ahmedabad would host the 2029 IWF World Weightlifting Championship and that the event followed the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2025 and the Asian Weightlifting Championship 2026. According to him, the world's finest weightlifters would now be visiting Gujarat.

Indian Weightlifting Federation President Sahdev Yadav called the decision a major accomplishment for the sport across the country.

The 2029 championship will double as a qualifier for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which India will host. The announcement comes after several international weightlifting events have already been organised in Gujarat.

Ahmedabad hosted the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, and India staged the 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championship in the state.

That Asian championship was held from May 11 to 17 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, with participation from athletes and officials representing about 30 countries.

The IWF also named hosts for other world events during the meeting. Pristina in Kosovo will host the 2028 World Youth Championship, while Caracas in Venezuela will stage the World Junior Championship in the same year. The 2030 Senior World Weightlifting Championship will be held in Moscow.