Completion of the Grand Journey of the Jinju Asia Weightlifting Championships

The Largest Scale in Competition History

Participants from 37 Countries, Over 600 People

The "2023 Jinju Asia Weightlifting Championships," held under the theme "True Pearl Holding Dreams, Asia Becoming One!" concluded its grand journey with the closing ceremony on the 13th.

The closing ceremony, held after the awards ceremony for the men's +109kg final event, was attended by over 200 people, including key figures such as Jo Gyu-il, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Mayor of Jinju, Mohamed Hassan Jalood, President of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Mohamed Youssef Al Mana, President of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF), Choi Seong-yong, President of the Korea Weightlifting Federation, Kim Jin-bu, Chairman of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council, Yang Hae-young, Chairman of the Jinju City Council, as well as athletes and volunteers.

Following a pre-ceremony performance by the Jinju City Symphony Orchestra sextet, a highlight video capturing the athletes' emotions and joy was screened, followed by awards presented to outstanding athletes and countries. The event continued with farewell speeches, closing remarks, the handover of the championship flag to Uzbekistan, the host country for next year, a farewell address, and the official closing declaration, marking the end of all tournament schedules.

Group photo at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Jinju Asia Weightlifting Championships.

Mohamed Hassan Jalood, IWF President, expressed in his farewell speech, "I deeply thank the citizens of Jinju for their warm hospitality and the Organizing Committee for their flawless preparation," adding, "This will be remembered as the most successful championship ever."

He continued, "The new records set at the Jinju Championships and the memories shared by the Asian weightlifting family will last forever," and said, "On behalf of the Asian Weightlifting Federation, I thank Mayor Jo Gyu-il and all the citizens of Jinju for preparing the best championship."

Choi Seong-yong, President of the Korea Weightlifting Federation, who delivered the closing remarks, said, "This championship has been widely recognized as a tournament surpassing even the World Championships in terms of opening ceremony, facilities, and operations," and added, "I am pleased to have grandly concluded the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jinju, a city with a thousand-year history."

Mayor Jo stated in his farewell address, "For 11 days, we united as the Asian weightlifting family to achieve a peaceful and harmonious championship," and declared, "Jinju will continue to uphold its reputation as a global sports city based on the success of this championship."

This championship was the largest in the history of the Asian Weightlifting Championships, with over 600 officials and athletes from 37 countries participating. The tournament's prestige was elevated as ranking points for qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympics were at stake, and the entry list was star-studded, including eight gold medalists from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, resulting in a championship rich with new records.

Starting with the gold medal in the clean and jerk by Nam Yeon-seong in the men's 67kg category, Korea's leading female weightlifter Kim Su-hyun in the women's 76kg category won gold medals in both the clean and jerk and total, becoming a double champion. The Korean team, proud as the host nation, finished second overall in the championship.

Meanwhile, during the championship period, the Jinju representative spring festival, Jinju Nongae Festival, was held simultaneously, allowing foreign athletes and officials visiting the championship to enjoy Jinju's unique culture and attractions.

The successful hosting of the championship was greatly supported by about 200 volunteers. They played crucial roles in various fields such as interpretation, accommodation, event management, transportation and parking, cleaning, medical services, and safety, effectively serving as civilian diplomats.

Jinju City received recognition for successfully hosting its first international sports event, confirming its capabilities and potential as a central city in the southern region of the Republic of Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.