India will host the World Weightlifting Championships for the first time, with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) awarding the 2029 edition to Ahmedabad. The 2029 World Weightlifting Championships Ahmedabad decision was taken by the IWF Executive Board at its meeting in Ningbo, China, on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
India won the bid against competing proposals from Russia and Venezuela. At the same meeting, the board gave Moscow the 2030 senior world championships.
Indian Weightlifting Federation president Sahdev Yadav called the announcement a major development for the sport in the country. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also shared the news on X, noting that the world’s best lifters will now come to the state after the 2025 Commonwealth Championships and the 2026 Asian Championships, both held in Gujarat.
The event carries extra weight because it will double as a qualifying competition for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which India is due to host. That gives Indian lifters a high-stakes event on home soil in the build-up to those Games.
IWF General Secretary José Quiñones said the successful bids showed weightlifting’s growing global reach, adding that India, Kosovo and Venezuela will host IWF world events for the first time.
The win also strengthens Ahmedabad’s profile as a sporting hub, at a time when the city is being discussed as a possible venue if India pursues the 2036 Olympic Games.
