DPRK to host Asian youth weightlifting championships

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The 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships will be held in Pyongyang, it was announced on Sunday.

An agreement to host the championships in the month of October was reached between the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) and sports minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Il Guk.

The signing ceremony took place after the Asian Games women's 75kg competition at the Jakarta International Expo Hall.

The DPRK has dominated weightlifting, collecting seven gold medals out of 15 so far in the Indonesian capital.

Sports administrators in Pyongyang have been hoping the country would be able to host international events after combining with the Republic of Korea in several sports at the Winter Olympics in February and at the Asian Games, and also marching under one flag at the opening ceremonies.

Despite being selected as the host for the 2018 Junior World Weightlifting Championships in 2016, Pyongyang had to give up the right on the IWF's recommendation as a result of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula at the time.

But the situation on the peninsula has improved since then.

(with inputs from agencies)

Source(s): AFP