World Cup 2024: Regional stars focus on Paris 2024 qualification

Four-time Paralympic champion Perez to lead home challenge even as Para Pan American Games stars look to shine, while Egypt athletes aim for glory in four-day event in Acapulco 22 May 2024

A woman smiling and raising her arm in a wheelchair chair being pushed by a man

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Amalia Perez will be the favourite to win the women's -61kg gold medal at home.

ⒸHiroki Nishioka for World Para Powerlifting

By Priyanka Sharma I For World Para Powerlifting

After a break of 10 days, the World Cup action resumes in Mexico’s resort city of Acapulco with more than 150 athletes from 24 nations ready to grab important Paralympic rankings points over the next four days.

The World Cup regulars including Paralympic stars have given the event a miss, saving their power for the final event before the qualification deadline in Tbilisi next month.

The Mexico 2024 World Cup will be streamed live on YouTube.

Strong Pan American challenge

In that case, the Mexico 2024 World Cup will be an opportunity for several regional and local stars to grab the limelight in Acapulco.

Mexico will field a huge team of 83 members (39 men and 24 female), led by four-time Paralympic champion Amalia Perez (women’s -61kg). Perez will be the favourite to win the gold medal at home, showing a rehearsal to her fans of what’s coming at the Paralympic Games in less than 100 days’ time.

Para Pan American Games champions USA's Bobby Body (men's -107kg) and El Salvador’s Herbert Aceituno (men's up to 59kg), a Worlds and Paralympic medallist should be among the mix in the men’s events.

Santiago 2023 champion Clara Fuentes Monasterio would be hoping to top the medals in women’s - 45 kg.

International stars

Powerlifting powerhouse Egypt will have some of the top names in action this week.

While their star-studded list will be without their top stars Sherif Osman and Rehab Ahmed, both already having made the cut for Paris 2024, the 16-member team will have Paralympic and world stars in action.

The men’s challenge will be spearheaded by Mohammed Elelfat (men’s -88kg) and Mahmoud Attia (men’s -72kg), both of them are Tokyo2020 Paralympic medallists.

In women's event, Egypt should put up a strong challenge against the local stars. World championships medallists Fatma Elyan (women's -67 kg) and Nadia Ali (women's +86kg) would look to gain the important Paralympic ranking points.

Among others, Rio 2016 Paralympic champions Randa Mahmoud and Amany Ali would fight for the gold in women's -86 kg, while Amal Mahmoud will hope to put up a powerful show in women’s -79kg event.

Full schedule and results from the Mexico 2024 World Cup can be found here.