Rebellion by some member federations ahead of the Asian Weightlifting Federation congress: disputed constitution goes to a vote in Gandhinagar
The Asian Weightlifting Federation, the continental body for weightlifting known by the English abbreviation AWF, is holding a meeting of its Executive Board and its annual congress on 12 May 2026 in Gandhinagar, India, where, according to available information, one of the most sensitive items on the agenda is the adoption of a new constitution. The congress is taking place on the same day as the scheduled opening ceremony of the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, which also gives the sporting event a strong administrative dimension. According to the official AWF schedule, the arrival of delegations began on 9 May, the competition on 11 May, while the Executive Board meeting, congress and opening ceremony are scheduled for 12 May.
The dispute over the constitution erupted at a time when the continental federation is already under scrutiny from some of its members over decision-making procedures, the postponement of the championships and issues of internal governance. The original text speaks of a rebellion by member federations over the proposal for a new constitution, while earlier reports by the specialist portal Inside The Games state that certain national federations had warned of non-transparent procedures, delays in electoral processes and concern over the concentration of power at the top of Asian weightlifting. In its publicly available statements, the AWF has not commented on those claims in detail, so the extent of support for and opposition to the proposed constitutional text cannot be independently confirmed in full.
The issue is particularly sensitive because it does not concern only technical amendments to the statutes of one continental organization. In weightlifting in recent years, structure, transparency and the anti-doping system have carried direct political and sporting weight, after the International Olympic Committee demanded deep reforms from the IWF in order for the sport to retain its place in the Olympic programme. In 2023, the IWF announced that weightlifting had been confirmed for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and in February 2026 it also announced the approved qualification system for LA28. In such a context, the dispute over AWF operating rules takes on broader significance for the reputation of the sport in Asia.
Congress alongside a championship held after postponement
The Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar are officially scheduled from 9 to 17 May 2026, after the original April date was changed. The Organizing Committee announced on 19 March that the decision to postpone had been made after consultations with the AWF and the International Weightlifting Federation, explaining that travel had been affected by the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. According to that announcement, more than 60 percent of AWF members reported significant difficulties in travelling to India, and some delegations announced reduced squads, in certain cases to only one to five athletes.
The postponement already caused dissatisfaction among some federations at the time, because some national teams, according to Inside The Games reporting, had previously arranged travel plans and costs that were not easy to recover. The organizers’ official version emphasized the need to ensure equal competition conditions, broader representation and the integrity of the championships. Critics, however, saw the problem in the manner of communication and in whether the members had been included in the decision-making process in a timely manner. That objection is now spilling over into the debate on the constitution, because both issues come down to the same fundamental problem: how much real influence the members have over decisions that shape the continental federation.
The championships are being held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar. According to information carried by PTI, around 180 athletes and almost 200 officials are expected, including coaches, delegates, managers and members of support teams. The organizers announced the participation of competitors from 30 countries, including lifters with Olympic, world and Asian medals. The competition also has qualification significance for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which further increases the importance of a stable schedule and clear procedures.
What is known about the disputed constitution
According to available information, the proposal for the new AWF constitution is expected to be before delegates at the annual congress on 12 May. The original text states that a rebellion by member federations broke out because of it, but publicly available official AWF documents at the time of writing do not provide full insight into all proposed provisions, amendment proposals and comments from national federations. For that reason, it is not possible to reliably state which exact provisions would be at the centre of the vote, apart from the broader framework that has already appeared in reports on the governance of Asian weightlifting.
Inside The Games previously reported that some objections relate to constitutional deadlines, the electoral congress and the question of whether the existing AWF constitutional framework expired in 2024. The same source stated that some members believed the proposed changes had been sent too late and that this further raised the issue of respect for basic procedures. One of the reports also mentions an initiative by the federations of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan for amendments that should strengthen transparency and align the work of the AWF with the principles of good governance in international sport.
One of the particularly sensitive points, according to those reports, is the proposal to limit or prohibit the simultaneous holding of high offices in the IWF and AWF. Such a provision would be aimed at preventing the concentration of power and possible conflicts of interest. Publicly available claims highlight the position of Mohammed Jalood, president of the IWF and first vice-president of the AWF, as an example of a function that opens debate on dual roles. Since the AWF has not published a comprehensive response to all these accusations, those claims should be viewed as allegations by some members and sources from the sports system, and not as officially established facts.
The question of elections and the balance of power
The dispute over the constitution comes at a time when the future electoral congress is also being discussed in Asian weightlifting. The AWF announced that four national federations had submitted bids to host the electoral congress, and the presentation of bids is scheduled in Gandhinagar. This means that, alongside the debate on the text of the constitution, the question of the political balance of forces within the continental organization is also being opened, because electoral rules, candidacy conditions and the structure of committees can directly influence the next leadership mandate.
Reports by Inside The Games state that critics warned that AWF elections should have been held no later than two months after the Summer Olympic Games, while the electoral congress had not been held by May 2026. If those interpretations of constitutional deadlines prove correct, this is a serious question of legitimacy and timely governance. On the other hand, official AWF announcements show that the organization continues to carry out the competition calendar, organize congresses and communicate with members through regular channels, but that in itself does not remove the dispute over whether the procedures are sufficiently clear and open.
The balance of power in continental federations is not only an internal matter for sports officials. Through such organizations, national federations influence competition calendars, appointments of technical officials, regional qualification pathways, development programmes and the distribution of political influence toward the IWF. When some members claim that the constitution-making process is too fast, unclear or insufficiently inclusive, this can undermine trust in the results of the vote in the long term, even if the document is formally adopted by the required majority.
Weightlifting and the pressure of Olympic reforms
The debate in the AWF is taking place in a sport that in recent years has gone through strong pressure from international institutions. In 2023, the IWF welcomed the recommendation of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee that weightlifting remain on the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, emphasizing broad governance reforms and the strengthening of the clean sport system. A few days later, the IWF announced that the sport had been confirmed in the LA28 programme after a vote at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai.
That decision was not just a formality. Weightlifting had previously been under pressure because of doping cases, governance problems and questions of financial transparency. In such an environment, continental federations, including the AWF, are under greater expectations than before. Their statutes, electoral rules and systems for vetting officials are not viewed in isolation, but as part of a broader system that must convince the Olympic movement that reforms are being implemented at all levels.
In February 2026, the IWF announced that the IOC Executive Board had approved the qualification system for Los Angeles 2028. According to that announcement, the qualification pathway will run from 27 July 2026 to 7 May 2028 and will include multiple world, continental and qualification competitions. For Asian athletes and their national federations, this means that over the next two years continental rules, the calendar and administrative stability will have direct consequences for Olympic ambitions.
Gandhinagar as a sporting and political stage
These days, Gandhinagar is hosting a competition that is important for India both in sporting and organizational terms. According to PTI, the Indian Weightlifting Federation stated that this is the fourth time India has been entrusted with hosting the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, after earlier editions in Pune in 2015 and Greater Noida in 2023, along with more recent international events in Gujarat. Punjab Kesari reported that senior local officials are also expected at the opening ceremony, including Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and State Sports Minister Jayram Gamit.
Among the international officials expected in Gandhinagar are IWF President Mohammed Hasan Jalood, AWF President Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana and AWF Secretary General Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi. Their presence gives the event additional weight because the sporting programme is taking place in parallel with decisions that may determine the future governance of the continental federation. It is customary for congresses to be held alongside major competitions, but in this case the sporting stage amplifies the visibility of the governance crisis.
For the host, the championship is an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to organize a major international competition. According to published data, athletes from countries traditionally strong in weightlifting are also arriving in Gandhinagar, including China, North Korea, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Japan, Iran and Vietnam. At the same time, some West Asian teams, according to a statement by Indian Weightlifting Federation President Sahdev Yadav carried by PTI, reduced their delegations because of the war and security situation in the region. That circumstance further shows how much external political events can affect continental sport.
Why the constitutional procedure is considered crucial
The constitution of a sports federation is not merely an administrative document. It determines who has the right to vote, how the president and committees are elected, what powers the secretary general has, how conflicts of interest are resolved, what the deadlines for elections are and how members may appeal decisions. If the document is unclear or is adopted without enough time for debate, members may feel that they have been presented with a fait accompli. If, however, the procedure is transparent and sufficiently inclusive, the new constitution can become a tool for calming the crisis, not its source.
In the case of the AWF, according to available reports, the problem lies precisely in trust. Some members allegedly do not dispute the need to modernize the constitution, but rather the way in which that is being done and the content of certain solutions. Proposals on limiting dual roles, strengthening election deadlines and alignment with international standards of good governance could be acceptable to a broad circle of members if they are discussed openly. But if the impression of non-transparency continues, even the formal adoption of the constitution could produce new objections.
For athletes, coaches and national federations, such disputes are not abstract. Unstable governance can affect the competition schedule, travel costs, the appointment of judges and technical officials, as well as confidence that decisions have been made on the basis of clear criteria. In the years leading up to Olympic qualifications, this becomes particularly important, because every change to the calendar or procedures can have consequences for athletes’ preparation and results.
What follows after the vote
If the AWF congress adopts the new constitution, the key issue will be how quickly and consistently its rules are applied. This includes the publication of clear electoral deadlines, candidacy rules, mechanisms for preventing conflicts of interest and the way members are included in future decisions. If the vote is postponed or if some members challenge the procedure, the crisis could continue even after the end of the championships in Gandhinagar. At present, it has not been officially confirmed how many federations support the proposal and how many oppose it.
The most important question for the AWF will be whether it can emerge from the congress with a document that members will consider legitimate, and not merely voted through. In a sport that has already gone through serious reputational crises at the international level, formal compliance with rules is not enough if trust is absent. That is why the debate in Gandhinagar will probably be viewed not only as an internal issue of Asian weightlifting, but also as a test of the continental federation’s ability to show that the reforms discussed by the international leadership of the sport truly reach the regional level.
Sources:
- Asian Weightlifting Federation – official schedule of the 2026 Asian Senior Championships, including the congress, Executive Board meeting and opening ceremony (link)
- Asian Weightlifting Federation – official statement by the Organizing Committee on the postponement of the championships and the new dates from 9 to 17 May 2026 (link)
- Rediff / PTI – data on participants, location, qualification significance of the competition and expected officials in Gandhinagar (link)
- Punjab Kesari – report on the number of countries, the presence of officials and the connection between the AWF congress and the championships in Gandhinagar (link)
- Inside The Games – reports on objections by some AWF members, proposed constitutional changes, the electoral congress and governance issues in Asian weightlifting (link)
- Inside The Games – report on criticism after the change of dates for the Asian Championships and objections to the communication of the decision (link)
- International Weightlifting Federation – announcement on the confirmation of weightlifting on the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (link)
- International Weightlifting Federation – announcement on the approved qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (link)