The International Weightlifting Federation‘s (IWF) Asian Weightlifting Championships (AWC) are set to take place from Oct. 6-16, 2022, in Manama, Bahrain.
While the event is known for its particularly fierce competition, the 2022 AWC should be particularly exciting for fans of Olympic lifting as it will help set the stage for the upcoming Games qualification cycle.
For the first time in its history, this year’s AWC will also be made available in real time for viewers and fans worldwide via a pay-per-view live stream from Weightlifting House.
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The 2022 AWC will showcase the return of some of the sport’s best and brightest in the Eastern region. To put the level of competition into perspective, over 80 percent of all current World Records in men’s weightlifting are held by athletes from the Asian region.
Among the women, every single Senior-level World Record in the sport currently belongs to athletes from the Asian region as well (as of October 2022).
“This year’s Asian Championships could easily be mistaken for the World Weightlifting Championships or even the Olympic Games,” notes Weightlifting House founder Sebastian Ostrowicz.
Session Dates & Times
Below are the dates and times for the 2022 AWC. This list documents only the “A” Groups at the competition, which generally contain the strongest athletes who will vie for medals.
Note: All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
October 8
- Women’s 45KG: 10:30 a.m.
- Women’s 49KG: 1:00 p.m.
October 9
- Men’s 55KG: 8:00 a.m.
- Women’s 55KG: 10:30 a.m.
- Men’s 61KG: 1:00 p.m.
October 10
- Women’s 59KG: 8:00 a.m.
- Women’s 67KG: 10:30 a.m.
October 11
- Women’s 64KG: 8:00 a.m.
- Men’s 73KG: 10:30 a.m.
October 12
- Women’s 71KG: 10:30 a.m.
- Men’s 81KG: 1:00 p.m.
October 13
- Men’s 89KG: 10:30 a.m.
- Women’s 76KG: 1:00 p.m.
October 14
- Women’s 81KG: 8:00 a.m.
- Women’s 87KG: 10:30 a.m.
- Men’s 96KG: 1:00 p.m.
October 15
- Men’s 102KG: 5:30 a.m.
October 16
- Men’s 109KG: 3:00 a.m.
- Women’s +87KG: 5:30 a.m.
- Men’s +109KG: 10:30 a.m.
For additional information about the session times of other competition Groups, see the event’s official regulations book.
Live Stream
Much like the 2022 European Championships this spring, Weightlifting House will provide live and on-demand video access to the Asian Championships.
The organization notes that it aims to provide a live stream of every “A” Group session, with full English-language commentary, to anyone in the world outside of Asia.
If you’re interested in purchasing a virtual ticket to the live stream, you can head over to the Weightlifting House website.
Why This Competition Matters
The power structure in the Asian region remains somewhat uncertain in the year since the 2020 Olympics (which were held in the summer of 2021). Team China, for instance, hasn’t marshaled a full roster for an IWF event since its domination in Tokyo. Some of their best athletes are training for comebacks in different weight classes as well.
There’s also a good deal of shuffling across the board as Paris hopefuls adjust to the International Olympic Committee‘s new Games categories.
For instance, 109-kilogram Olympic Champion Akbar Djuraev has reportedly bulked up to compete in the super-heavyweight division. 96-kilogram Tokyo winner Fares Ibrahim El-Bakh, who goes by Meso Hassouna, has also moved up to the 102s and will do battle with 2016 Olympic Champion Ruslan Nurudinov of Uzbekistan.
Some athletes, like 96-kilogram World Champion and World Record holder in the snatch Lesman Paredes, have even changed allegiances. Paredes will lift under the Bahranian flag instead of his home country Colombia.
With the Paris Olympics inching ever closer — the first major qualification event being the 2022 IWF World Championships in December — this year’s AWC will surely provide an indication of who has the strength and power to make it to the Olympic stage.
Featured Image: Celso Pupo / Shutterstock
