Batumi Hosts the European Weightlifting Federation Congress
17 April, 2026
Two days before the start of the European Weightlifting Championships, Batumi hosted the Congress of the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) Congress.
The participants of the Congress were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Education and Sport of Adjara, Irakli Abuladze, who extended his best wishes for success to all participants of both the Congress and the European Championships.
The readiness of Batumi 2026 was presented to the delegates by the President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, Lasha Talakhadze, who also addressed the audience with several key initiatives.
“Georgia is hosting the European Championships for the third time. The first occasion was in 2015, when Tbilisi hosted the continental championship. This was followed by the 2019 European Championships in Batumi, which received high acclaim and were even described as a championship of the future.
Today, we are once again in Batumi, and we will make every effort to meet your expectations.
For the first time in weightlifting, a substantial prize fund has been introduced. We have fulfilled the commitment made in Moldova, and I am pleased that this new standard has been established by our federation.
I have recently transitioned from an active sporting career into a leadership role. My experience as an athlete allows me to approach various issues with deeper insight.
I would like to highlight several initiatives that I consider particularly important and which are widely supported.
These relate to preliminary entries, the so-called entry lists, which currently limit flexibility and restrict fair competition among countries. It would be beneficial to allow nations an 8+4 reserve quota in the final entries. I also believe that the current three-week period for the verification process is excessive and should be reduced to one week. Furthermore, greater recognition should be given to athletes in individual lifts. It is essential to ensure proper support for athletes and to fully acknowledge the achievements of winners.”
In accordance with the official agenda, EWF President Astrit Hasani and Secretary General Milan Mihajlovic presented their annual reports to the Congress.
Delegates were also briefed on reports from various EWF commissions and committees. Information was provided regarding the organizational aspects of the 2026 European Championships, as well as updates on the 2027 European Championships and the European Games.
The agenda also included elections to several EWF committees. Notably, Giorgi Tchintcharauli, doctor-rehabilitologist of the Georgian national weightlifting team, was elected as a member of the EWF Medical Committee.
In addition, EWF medals were awarded to Lasha Talakhadze, President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, and Irakli Abuladze, Deputy Minister of Education and Sport of Adjara, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development of weightlifting.
