Mostaganem Hosts African, Arab Weightlifting Championships for 29 Nations
The African and Arab Weightlifting Championships commenced on Wednesday in Mostaganem, Algeria, bringing together 340 weightlifters from 29 nations. Athletes are competing across junior, cadet, and senior categories, with events taking place at the "El Bay Habib" multi-sport hall within the "Raïd Fradj" Olympic Sports Complex.
The official opening ceremony saw the attendance of Abderrahmane Hammad, President of the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee, alongside officials from African, Arab, and Asian federations, and Mostaganem Wali Ahmed Boudouh, as well as local civil and military authorities and participating delegations. Representing the Minister of Sport, Mohamed Atbi, a central director at the ministry, emphasized that organizing such sporting events offers a valuable opportunity to discover young talents, facilitate expertise exchange among coaches and technicians, and strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation between African and Arab sports federations. The minister added that the competition is expected to be a successful occasion, reflecting Algeria's stature and the aspirations of African and Arab sports.
Algeria is participating with 26 weightlifters in the African Championship and 20 in the Arab Championship, with the Algerian Weightlifting Federation aiming for results comparable to those achieved at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy. Complementing the competitions, two training courses are running concurrently: an international course for referees, overseen by an international expert, and a national technical course for coaches. These initiatives are designed to enhance and develop the national arbitration and training systems, raising the skill level of referees and coaches through exposure to the latest updates and modifications adopted by the International Weightlifting Federation.
