GENEVA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) president Mohammed Jalood on Thursday welcomed the opening of a weightlifting school in Uzbekistan, praising the initiative as a boost to the sport's development in Central Asia.
"I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Uzbekistan on the opening of this fantastic new facility. Uzbekistan has become a true powerhouse in our sport and the Akbar Djuraev Weightlifting School is a testament to their dedication. This school provides a vital opportunity to continue the development of weightlifting not only in Uzbekistan but across all of Central Asia, ensuring a bright future for the next generation of young lifters," Jalood said.
The facility is named after Akbar Djuraev, who became Uzbekistan's second Olympic weightlifting champion after winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games with an Olympic record total of 430kg.
Otabek Umarov, first deputy chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said the opening coincides with the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6.
"We are very proud to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace with the opening of this state-of-the-art facility. We know very well that sport has the power to drive social change and bring communities together," Umarov said. ■
