Author: ewfAdmin

After a break of three decades, the Balkan Weightlifting Championships were successfully reintroduced at the beginning of December in Durrës, Albania, fully aligned with all IWF standards.On 1 December, the Executive Board Meeting and the Regular Congress of the Balkan Weightlifting Federation were convened. Under the leadership of President Elez Gjoza, the Federation has been revitalized with exceptional enthusiasm and remarkable progress.The Balkan Championships were held on 2–3 December at the distinguished Grand Blue Fafa Hotel, a hub that has hosted several European and World Championships in recent years. Albania has increasingly become a role model in weightlifting event organization.…

By Karoliina LundahlThe Nordic weightlifting family have completed the senior, junior and youth championships in November. The seniors competed Nov. 15-16 in Gardabaer, Iceland, and two weeks later the juniors and youth competed in Halmstad, Sweden. The youth and junior championships was a showcase for Finland as they won all the team competitions. Eleiko Headquarters in Halmstad offered a perfect competition venue.In the Nordic Congress held at the senior Championships in odd years a new Executive Board is elected. Karoliina Lundahl (FIN) was re-elected as President for her third term as well as Patrik Helgesson (SWE) who continues as the…

The Balkan Senior Weightlifting Championships will return this year in a renewed format, with the first edition of the reinstated event to be held in Durrës, Albania, from 1 to 4 December.After a long pause, the Championships have been reintroduced to the regional sporting calendar, with 8 countries confirming their participation and a total of 69 athletes set to compete. The event aims to further strengthen cooperation between Balkan nations and provide senior athletes with a high-level and well-organized competitive platform.Big appreciation to Mr. Elez Gjoza, President of the Albanian Weightlifting Federation and the Balkan Weightlifting Federation, for his leadership…

The Islamic Solidarity Games, which were held in Riyadh, welcomed two very special guests as the presidents of two major International Federations – Petra Sörling, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing.Both leaders attended the event at the invitation of Dr. Astrit Hasani, President of the European Weightlifting Federation and Vice-President of the International Weightlifting Federation. From left to right in the official photograph: World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst, EWF President and IWF Vice-President Dr. Astrit Hasani, and ITTF President Petra Sörling. The tour also allowed the two…

By the Hungarian Weightlifting FederationThe professional community of Hungarian weightlifting gathered on November 13 at the Olympic Training Camp in Tata for the national conference entitled “New Directions – HWF 1st Weightlifting Day”, which created one of the broadest professional collaborations in the sport in recent decades. The all-day programme was attended by coaches, athletes, club managers, university students, interested representatives of other sports, sports science experts and the leaders of the Federation to jointly look at the present, challenges and possible paths of weightlifting in the future. The conference was opened by Attila Ádámfi, the vice president of the…

After eight days of intense and exciting competition, the 2025 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships have come to a successful close in Durres, Albania.This year’s event stood out for its remarkable level of performance — in every junior weight category, at least one European record was broken. The competition even saw a world records achieved by Albania’s Enkileda Carja, who, competing in the Women’s 63 kg Junior category, set new European records in all three lifts (snatch, clean & jerk, and total), as well as a world record in the clean & jerk and total.RESULTSThese outstanding results demonstrate not only…

It is with deep sadness that EWF inform you of the passing of Taisto Elis Kullervo “Tate” Kuoppala, a widely respected figure within the international weightlifting community. Taisto passed away peacefully at his home in Kitee, Finland, on 6 November 2025, surrounded by his wife and son.Shortly after serving as an International Technical Official at the European Championships in Sofia, Taisto was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He faced the illness with remarkable dignity, strength, and calmness—qualities that reflected the way he lived and served throughout his life.Taisto KuoppalaBorn 25 September 1949 in Tampere, FinlandClub: Tampereen Pyrintö (since 1966)Education: Bachelor of Science…

The EWF Executive Board convened in Durrës, Albania, on 2 November 2025, to deliberate on key updates and strategic initiatives aimed at advancing the development of weightlifting across Europe. Several significant decisions were adopted during the session. Updates from the EWF Athletes Commission EWF Executive Board members were informed about the results of the recent EWF Athletes Commission (EWF AC) decisions. Ivona Gavran (CRO) was elected as the new EWF AC Chairperson, and Despina Polaktsidou (GRE) as EWF AC Secretary. Both were introduced to the Executive Board, expressing their enthusiasm for close cooperation with the EWF community to further develop…

With drums, dance, a packed arena, and the inspiring motto “From Albania to Europe – We Bring Heart to the Platform,” the 2025 EWF European Junior & U23 Championships were officially opened last night in the Adriatic coastal city of Durrës.The week-long event, taking place from 28 October to 4 November at the Ramazan Njala Sports Palace, brings together the finest Junior and U23 weightlifters from across Europe.Distinguished guests attended the ceremony and presented awards, including Minister of Agriculture Andis Salla, Deputy Minister of Sport Endrit Hoxha, Albanian NOC President Fidel Ylli, and triple Olympic champion and IWF Executive Board…

Founded in December 2019, Føroya Styrkisamband (FSS) moved from idea to impact in record time: Nordic recognition in 2022, medals in 2022–2023, hosting the Nordic Championships in 2024, and confirmation soon after that Faroese lifters could line up at U23 and U15 European events.  For the islands—just over 55,000 people—this isn’t only about results. It’s about building a pathway for young and senior athletes, giving them a flag to compete under, and proving that a well-run structure can unlock genuine progress. Today we speak with Niels Áki Mørk (23), a Faroese lifter and federation co-ordinator based in Copenhagen, who started weightlifting in…