Ahmedabad to host 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, first for India

Ahmedabad has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, making India the host nation for the global event for the first time.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) confirmed Gujarat as the host following its Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China, on Sunday, according to Olympics.com. Moscow, Russia, was named the host city for the 2030 edition.

The decision adds to Ahmedabad’s growing list of international sporting events, with the city also scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Gujarat hosted the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar earlier this year.

The IWF also announced the hosts for other upcoming championships. Prishtina, Kosovo, will stage the 2028 World Youth Championships, while Caracas, Venezuela, will host the 2028 World Junior Championships. Yerevan, Armenia, has been selected to host the 2027 World Weightlifting Championships.

The 2025 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Forde, Norway. The next edition is scheduled to take place in Ningbo from October 27 to November 8, 2026.

First held in 1891, the World Weightlifting Championships initially featured men’s competitions. The women’s event was introduced in 1987, and the first combined men’s and women’s championships were held in 1991.

India has won 18 medals at the championships so far, including three gold, 10 silver and five bronze.

Kunjarani Devi became the first Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the event when she claimed silver in the women’s 44kg category at the 1989 championships in Manchester. Lalita Polley also won bronze at the same edition.

Karnam Malleswari subsequently won consecutive world titles in the women’s 54kg category in 1994 and 1995. More recently, Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women’s 48kg category at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships.