Accra will be the centre of African weightlifting next week as Ghana hosts its maiden continental event — the 2025 African Junior & Youth Weightlifting Championships — from August 15 to 22.

The Ga-Mashie Hall at the Trust Sports Emporium, home to the famous Bukom Boxing Arena, will welcome 18 nations, including Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Eswatini, Madagascar, Kenya, and Uganda. 

The week-long showdown promises to showcase Africa’s next generation of weightlifting talent as they prepare for bigger stages — the Africa Youth Games in Angola later this year and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.

Team Ghana will be represented by eight athletes competing across all eight weight categories. For weeks, they have been grinding through intense training sessions at the National Weightlifting Centre inside the Accra Sports Stadium under national head coach Michael Johnson Abotsi.

“This is more than a competition; it’s about raising the profile of youth sports and empowering the next generation of African athletes,” said Ghana Weightlifting Federation (GWF) President, Jerry Ahmed Shaib.

The GWF boss stressed that the event will be an invaluable stepping stone for many first-time international competitors. “Most of these athletes will gain crucial exposure, learn to handle the pressure of the big stage, and overcome the stage fright that can hold young talents back,” he said.

Ghana won the hosting rights after securing approval from the Executive Committee of the African Weightlifting Federation at its Congress last November. Shaib is confident the nation will stage a world-class event, building on the legacy of the successful 2023 African Games in Accra.

“Thanks to the African Games, we already have almost all the equipment needed for any major international weightlifting competition,” he noted. “Accommodation, logistics — everything is ready. From Friday, August 15, we’ll begin welcoming our guests from across the continent.”