After a few delays the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) finally held their long-awaited elections over the weekend in Tirana, Albania.
Mohammed Jaloud of Iraq was elected the new IWF president, becoming the first Asian president in the IWF’s history.
Jaloud, one of 11 candidates for the presidency, was a weightlifter himself for 13 years, and also holds citizenship status in Kazakhstan. The former general secretary of the Asian Weightlifting Federation is looking forward to his new role.
“We have been given the confidence and trust of our members to bring positive change and this is something I am dedicated to doing,” he said after his election.
“There is a renewed energy within our organization, I have already had the chance to discuss with my team who are ready to get to work and start delivering good things for our sport. We have a lot of new members and a lot of good experience within the newly elected Executive Board.”
The IWF Executive Board certainly has a new look with 12 new members, a turnover of 66 percent. There is also a much stronger female and athlete representation, including the election of Ursula Garza Papandrea, the first female vice president of the IWF. The American is a former two-time national champion and is the first and only woman to attain USA Weightlilfting’s highest coaching level.
No doubt the first item of Jaloud’s agenda is getting the IWF and the sport of weightlifting back in the good graces of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Weightlifting, which has been an Olympic constant since 1920, is currently not on the program for LA28, and IOC president Thomas Bach has been critical of the sport and the IWF in recent months.
Jaloud stressed the need for unity and to work together to keep weightlifting in the Olympics saying, “The IOC and the world is watching.”
José Quinones of Peru was elected General Secretary Treasurer.
There are four other vice presidents who will serve under Papandrea: Pyrros Dimas of Greece, Petr Krol of the Czech Republic, Doris Travieso of Venezuela and former IWF director general Attila Adamfi of Hungary.
For a complete list of all the IWF board members, click here.
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