The International Weightlifting Federation, the governing body for weightlifting, has been announced as the latest member of the Global Esports Federation.
According to a release, the IWF and GEF will work together to promote the sport at GEF events. However, little details were discussed about plans for the future.
The IWF is the official governing body for weightlifting globally and is over 120 years old. The Federation is most known for being the organiser of the World Weightlifting Championship and is a partner of the IOC on the weightlifting segment of the Olympic Games. In a release, the IWF noted that two of its representatives will join the GEF working group of International Federations.
The IWF joins a large roster of GEF’s partners, working together with the Federation to popularise esports and grow its global presence, notably through its Global Esports Games events and other projects. GEF partners with regional esports federations as well as companies such as Infinite Reality and NODWIN, alongside Unesco and sports federations such as the World Taekwondo Federation.
The GEF and IWF did not share much information regarding the exact projects that are planned, simply stating that the main goal is to collaborate on the promotion, support and development of the worldwide esports ecosystem.
IWF President, Mohammed Jalood, commented on the news: “This is really an exciting new path for our International Federation. In 2025, we celebrate our 120 years, but our aim is to remain always innovative and ‘young’. The membership to the GEF is a privileged platform to present our Sport in another dimension, thus generating and motivating more fans around the globe.
“The possibilities offered by new technologies are already reshaping the way we are practicing sport, so let’s write, together, another page in our brilliant history! We are also happy to see that the IOC is also embracing these new developments.”
