Staff Reporter
Gandhinagar: Qatari weightlifter Fares Ahmed Jaber delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships, recording new personal bests as the continental event heads into its final day on Sunday.
The championship, featuring 172 male and female athletes from 28 national federations, is widely regarded as one of the strongest editions in the tournament’s history due to the participation of world and Olympic-level competitors from across Asia.
Competing in Group B of the Under-20 110kg category and the Under-17 +94kg division, Jaber produced a series of impressive lifts to finish top of the Group B standings and remain firmly in medal contention ahead of the decisive Group A contests scheduled for Sunday.
The young Qatari athlete successfully lifted 160kg in the snatch and 203kg in the clean and jerk to achieve a combined total of 363kg. The marks represent significant improvements and new personal records for Jaber, highlighting his rapid progress and growing stature on the continental stage.
His final overall ranking and medal position will be confirmed following the completion of the Group A competitions in both categories.
First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Qatar, Arab, Asian and Afro-Asian Weightlifting Federations Mohammed Yousef Al Mana praised the athlete’s performance and development during the tournament.
Al Mana said the new personal records reflect the extensive technical preparation undertaken by both the athlete and the coaching staff over recent months.
“He possesses great potential, and what he is achieving today represents an important step in his sporting career, especially given the strength of the Asian competition and the presence of world and Olympic champions in the tournament,” Al Mana said.
Meanwhile, Qatari weightlifter Wisal Khalaf is set to compete on Sunday in the women’s +86kg category, carrying strong hopes of adding to her growing list of regional and continental achievements.
Wisal has enjoyed an exceptional run of form in recent months after winning nine gold medals across the 10th Qatar International Weightlifting Championship, the Arab Championship and the West Asian Championship, all staged in Doha last December.
She also secured three gold medals at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh last November, further underlining her status as one of Qatar’s leading female weightlifting talents.
Elsewhere at the championship, the North Korean team delivered dominant performances by breaking 12 international records, including six senior world and Asian records as well as six junior records.
Among the standout results, North Korea’s Ri Suk claimed gold in the women’s 63kg category with a total lift of 254kg, setting new world and Asian records in both the clean and jerk and overall total. China’s Yang Liuyu won silver with 251kg, while Fang Lin took bronze with 235kg.
In the men’s 71kg division, North Korea’s Ri Won Ju secured gold with a total of 351kg, including a new world and Asian clean and jerk record. China’s Chen Jian finished second with 335kg, while India’s Ajith Narayana claimed bronze with 314kg.
North Korean lifter Ri Ryong Hyon also captured gold in the men’s 79kg category with a total of 364kg, including a world and Asian clean and jerk record of 206kg, finishing ahead of compatriot Ri Chung Song and China’s Lu Naijiang.
