According to the Tehran Times, it was the largest Rookie and Next Generation World Championship in history, with 120 athletes under the age of 20 (36 women and 84 men) competing in 19 events over two days for the first time.
This will be followed by the Elite World Championships from October 11th to 18th. This will be the first time that this event will be held not only in Egypt but also in Africa. It is also one of the biggest championships ever held in Egypt, following the 2022 African Open Championship and the 2023 and 2024 World Cup.
Iranian junior athletes stole the show on the final day of the Rookie and Next Generation competitions. Similar to the senior athletes, the Iranian junior athletes also put in a dominant performance in the heavyweight category, matching the strength and skill of the Uzbek athletes who led the show on the first day.
17-year-old Atiesadat Hosseini won the women’s 61kg category, giving Iran the first women’s gold medal in the history of the World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Brynley Hutson of the United States and Niamh Buckley of Ireland won silver and bronze medals respectively.
Hosseini, who won the gold medal in his second attempt at the 90kg weight class, said, “I’m very happy and proud to win the gold medal here.”
The men’s athletes followed suit, winning several gold medals on the day in both the Rookie and Next Generation categories. Many Saidi athletes brilliantly won gold medals in the men’s 88kg (Next Generation) class. The 19-year-old started the season by setting a new world record with 166kg, and improved on that with 172kg in his second attempt.
Reza Enayatollah celebrated his 18th birthday in advance and achieved a new world record of 195kg in the men’s 97kg class on his second attempt.
“I have been working hard for 11 years to achieve this result. I think the key to success is hard work and listening to the coach,” said Enayatollah, who is aiming to win a medal at the Paralympic Games.
After two days of exciting New & Next Generation competitions, Uzbekistan topped the medal standings with 21 medals, including 13 gold, followed by Armenia and Iran in the top four. Host country Egypt won three gold medals in the junior events.
MNA