Riyadh, May 25 (QNA) - The General Assembly of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) today re-elected Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Qatar Weightlifting Federation, as a Vice President of the IWF for the new term (2025-2029).

The election took place during the assembly's meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with representatives from 170 countries attending.

The General Assembly also saw the near-unanimous endorsement of Iraq's Mohammed Hassan Jalood Al Shammari for a new term as IWF President, garnering support from 168 out of the participating votes after all his competitors withdrew.

Jose Quinones Gonzalez of Peru was elected Secretary-General, while Ursula Papandrea of the United States was named First Vice President. Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi, President of the Saudi Weightlifting Federation, and Liu of China were also elected as additional vice presidents.

During the assembly, the 12 members of the Executive Board were selected, and the permanent committees for technical aspects, training and research, and medical affairs were formed.

Following his re-election, Al Mana expressed his profound happiness, thanking the General Assembly for their trust, which he considers a renewed responsibility. He attributed the confidence placed in him by IWF members to the international community's faith in Qatar's administrative capabilities on a global level and their appreciation for the successful policies he pursued within the federation in the past period, during which weightlifting developed significantly.

Al Mana stressed that the IWF is at a "pivotal stage" that demands further development and comprehensive institutional work, which will enhance the roles of national federations and increase support for athletes and coaches worldwide. He affirmed his full commitment to continuing collaborative work with his colleagues on the executive board to achieve a qualitative leap befitting the status of global weightlifting.

The renewed trust in Al Mana is an extension of his leadership journey in weightlifting, through various key positions at the Arab, regional, and international levels, as he simultaneously presides over the Qatari, Arab, Asian, and Afro-Asian federations. (QNA)