Tournament Set Despite Protests in Colombia

(ATR) The organizers of the international weightlifting week in Cali assure that there will be a competition after days of violence in Colombia.

The South American, Ibero-American and Open Championships, which will confirm the latest Olympic classifications directly among seniors, must take place between May 10 and 16 in the Colombian city that became the epicenter of riots days ago.

More than a week of protests resulted in the death of at least 25 people and hundreds of injuries, a situation that prompted statements of concern from several governments.

The protests, punctuated by vandalism and a harsh police response, originated as a result of a national strike against the tax reform project presented by the National Government and which had to be withdrawn.

Cali international airport operations were restarted.

Around the Rings learned the event organizers and local authorities held a meeting after which the Colombian Weightlifting Federation, responsible for the international championships, reiterated the commitment to continue with plans to start on time next Monday, taking into account safety and biosafety recommendations.

The Pan American Federation (FPLP), which endorses these contests, is closely monitoring the situation, according to reports.

Until today, athletes from Denmark, France, Chile, Venezuela and Ecuador had arrived at the venue, and in the next few hours the arrivals of Germany, Austria and Finland are expected.

After the recent release of more lenient IWF qualification rules for Tokyo due to the pandemic, several teams confirmed that they already had the necessary requirements and were not forced to compete in any more events.

Due to this, some teams that were initially expected in Cali declined to attend. Before the new rules, it was necessary to compete in six events, which has now been reduced to four, while a third period of competitions - like the current one - is no longer mandatory.

The coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of qualifying competitions in continents such as Oceania. Africa and Latin America also faced numerous problems due to travel restrictions.

There are countries whose weightlifters still need more points to rise in the ranking in order to secure an Olympic ticket. They are among those who are arriving in Cali, complying with and trusting both the health protocols against COVID-19 and security measures.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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