Dubai to host 2014 IPC Powerlifting Worlds

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Monday (27 May) that the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships will be held in Dubai, UAE from 5-11 April.

Hosted by the Dubai Club for the Disabled, nearly 250 to 300 athletes from 50 countries are expected to participate in the World Championships – an event that will be a major stop for powerlifters on the road to Rio 2016.

Thani Juma Berregad will be the local organising commttee’s chairman, and the IPC Powerlifting Sports Forum will be held in conjunction with the event.

Jon Amos, Chairperson of the IPC Powerlifting Sport Technical Committee, said: “As this is such a critical competition on the Paralympic pathway, the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships will be a terrific competition for athletes trying to make their way to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, as well as for up-and-coming competitors from a range of countries.

“The event will be the largest gathering of powerlifters since London 2012, and it will take place in a location that has previously hosted several successful IPC Powerlifting and other para-sport competitions.”

The city of Dubai is accustomed to hosting major sporting events, including the Fazza International Powerlifting Championships, which they hold annually. Dubai previously held the IPC Powerlifting World Championships in 1998.

The last edition of the IPC Powerlifting World Championships took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2010, featuring 292 athletes from 49 countries.

At those Championships, Iran’s Siamand Rahman, Egypt’s Sherief Othman and France’s Souhad Ghazouani starred, all breaking world records on their way to the top of the podium.

The announcement of the World Championships comes at the conclusion of the successful 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, which took place from 22-26 in Aleksin, Russia. The event drew nearly 140 athletes from 25 different countries.

For more information on IPC Powerlifting please visit www.ipc-powerlifting.org.

You can also follow the sport on Twitter at @IPCPowerlifting and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IPCPowerlifting.