Qatari weightlifting fans are awaiting the appearance of weightlifter Wisal Yakhlef at the end of the competitions of the tenth edition of the World University Weightlifting Championships Doha 2026, when she competes on Saturday in the women’s +86 kg competition, in the championship hosted by Education City with the participation of 116 male and female athletes representing 21 countries.
Wessal’s participation receives special attention, as it is the last appearance of our national team in the tournament, as the Qatari women’s weightlifter looks forward to presenting a performance that matches her ambitions and reflects her international experience, against a group of the strongest competitors in this category, keeping in mind the competition strongly until the last attempt.
Wesal’s participation is based on a journey full of distinguished results, which she strengthened this year with a prominent continental achievement in the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in the Indian city of Gandhinagar, after she succeeded in winning three medals, two silver and one bronze, in the weight of +86 kg, proving her ability to compete with the elite of Asian weightlifters and confirming her growing presence in major tournaments.
Her record was also decorated with an exceptional achievement in the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games, when she won three gold medals in the weight category over 86 kg, after topping the snatch, clean and total competitions, recording 277 kg in total, in one of her most prominent competitive stations.
Wessal’s participation comes at an important time in its competitive program, as the tournament represents an additional stop on the way to preparing for future events, most notably the Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) in Japan. With the presence, experience and achievements it represents, Wessal continues to consolidate its position as one of the main pillars of the national team, carrying a renewed Qatari ambition to continue shining on continental and international podiums.
The women’s 77 kg competition was strong and close in technical level, as Maldovan Alexandrina Ciubotaru won three gold medals, the first in the snatch with 102 kg, the second in the clean and jerk with 122 kg, and the third in the total with 224 kg. Korean Kim Jae-hyun won two silver medals, the first in the snatch with 99 kg and the second in the total with 215 kg, and Yang won. Xu Ting from Chinese Taipei won two bronze medals, the first in the snatch with a weight of 98 kg and the second in the total with a weight of 213 kg, and the American Andrea Barrows won a silver medal in the slam with a weight of 121 kg, while the Korean Shin Hyorin won a bronze medal in the clean slap with a weight of 117 kg.
Maldovan champion Alexandrina Ciubotaru expressed her overwhelming happiness at winning three gold medals in the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall in the women’s 77 kg competition, stressing that her participation in Qatar was a special experience, and that she gave her utmost on the competition platform until her efforts resulted in this achievement. Siubotaru praised the high level that the Qatari hosting reflected in terms of organization and capabilities, and she also noted the warm reception and hospitality that she found since her arrival in Qatar.
In the men’s 95 kg competition, which witnessed the participation of seven weight lifters, Moldovan Teodor Brato imposed his superiority, after winning the three gold medals, by winning a gold medal in the snatch after lifting 159 kg, and in the clean and jerk, by lifting 191 kg, before clinching the gold medal in the total with a total of 350 kg.
Chinese Taipei weightlifter Xu Jin Jia won three medals, two silver and one bronze, where he won the silver in the snatch by lifting 157 kg, and the silver in the total with a total of 342 kg, in addition to the bronze in the slam after lifting 185 kg.
For his part, American Robert Brooks won two medals, a silver in the snatch, with a lift of 185 kg, and a bronze in the total, with a total of 335 kg, while the Spaniard, Ike Lizaso Bringas, won a bronze in the snatch, after lifting 152 kg.
The coronation ceremony witnessed Ms. Sarita Morales Brenes, a member of the International Control Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), crowning the first-place winners in the women’s 77 kg weight, and the men’s 95 kg weight winners.
Mr. Hamad Saleh Al Shaiba, Head of the Sports Programs Department at the Qatar Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar University Sports Federation, expressed the Foundation’s pride in hosting the competitions of the tenth edition of the World University Weightlifting Championships Doha 2026 in Education City, praising the distinguished organizational level in which the championship appeared, and appreciating the great efforts made by the organizing committee of the championship and all the committees and working cadres, which contributed to producing the event in a professional manner befitting the status of the State of Qatar.
He praised the tournament’s advanced level of organization, management, technical and media aspects, and the outstanding ability to present the event in a professional manner and reach a wide global audience, including fans and followers of the 21 participating countries. He praised the efforts of the tournament organizing committee and its employees, and the efficiency, commitment and coordination they demonstrated throughout the days of competition, stressing that the level at which the tournament emerged reflects the accumulated organizational experience and the ability to manage and host international sporting events according to high standards.
Al Shaiba pointed out that the World University Weightlifting Championships Doha 2026, in conjunction with the experiences gained by the Qatar University Sports Federation in organizing the 3×3 University Basketball World Cup, represents a new station in the process of institutional maturity of the Federation, and adds to its balance of accumulated organizational experiences that will enhance its ability to continue hosting the major tournaments on the agenda of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), and consolidate Qatar’s position as a reliable destination for international university sports events.