Oman weightlifters ready for Asian meet

MUSCAT: Oman national weightlifting team are taking part in the Asian Weightlifting Championship which is currently underway in Gandhinagar, Gurat in India and will conclude on May 17. The prestigious continental event attracted nearly 200 elite weightlifters representing 31 countries from across Asia, making it one of the region’s strongest competitions this year. The championship features several Olympic medalists, world champions and top-ranked athletes. The official opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Oman’s delegation featured three prominent national lifters including: Elyas al Busaidy, Amer al Kanjari and Murshid al Ajmi, who will compete in different weight categories against some of Asia’s finest athletes. Elyas will compete in Group A of the Men’s 71 kg category, while Amer will participate in Group A of the Men’s 88kg division. Meanwhile, Murshid will represent Oman in Group A of the Men’s 94 kg category.

The Omani trio is aiming to deliver strong performances during the championship and continue the positive progress achieved by the Sultanate of Oman’s weightlifting athletes in recent international participations. The technical and administrative staff accompanying the team expressed confidence in the athletes’ readiness and ability to compete at a high level despite the strong field of competitors.
Amer al Kanjari will enter the championship with impressive momentum following his remarkable achievement at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh last November. The Omani lifter succeeded in winning two medals in the 88kg category after claiming silver in the clean and jerk event and bronze in the overall total standings. Al Kanjari recorded a total of 354 points during the Games, finishing behind Uzbekistan’s Sarvarbek Zavarjonov, who secured first place with 363 points, while Iran’s Ilya Salehipour claimed second place overall with 359 points. His achievement was considered one of Oman’s notable accomplishments in international weightlifting competitions in recent years.

The national team members also showcased outstanding performances at the Arab Cup and West Asian Championship held in Qatar last December, where the Omani squad collected an impressive total of 17 medals. Elyas al Busaidy had delivered a strong display to secure three silver medals, while Amer al Kanjari had dominated several events to clinch nine gold medals across different categories. Murshid al Ajmi also had contributed significantly to the team’s success after winning three medals, including one gold, one silver and one bronze medal.