REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO: Mirabai Chanu - the face of Indian weightlifting. India won the hosting rights for the 2029 Weightlifting World Championships, with Ahmedabad set to stage the global event for the first time. The decision was taken at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China, on October 25. India faced stiff competition from Venezuela and Russia but ultimately won the hosting bid. Russia, meanwhile, won the hosting rights for the 2030 edition, while Venezuela will host the 2028 Junior World Championships. The IWF meeting was held on the sidelines of the World Championships in Ningbo. The event also marks the first qualification tournament for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. IWF General Secretary José Quiñones welcomed India's successful bids and highlighted the sport's growing global reach. “All the bids we received were excellent and we are sure that the Championships in your respective countries will be a huge success. It is also worth noting that three of these four countries will be organising an IWF world event for the first time – Kosovo, Venezuela and India. This demonstrates our Sport is growing worldwide and the staging of our competitions is highly desirable for many nations around the planet,” Quiñones said in the official press release. The Weightlifting World Championships add another major international event to India's calendar as the country pursues its ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympics. Ahmedabad, which will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, has also staged the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2025 and the Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2026. Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghvi announced the development on X, welcoming the global weightlifting community to the state. Ahmedabad will host the 2029 IWF World Weightlifting Championships! After the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 and the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026, the world’s best weightlifters are now coming to Gujarat,” Sanghvi posted. Meanwhile, Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu will lead India's seven-member contingent at the 2026 World Championships in Ningbo, which begin on October 27.