IWF Reviews Candidate Eligibility

(ATR) The International Weightlifting Federation is making sure the people nominated for its new executive are allowed to run for office.

"The received application forms are being reviewed by the IWF as the candidates are subject to eligibility checks," said a brief statement released on Tuesday evening in Europe.

"Once the eligibility checks are completed, the Member Federations will be duly notified and the list will be published on the IWF website."

The note does not specify how many executives have been nominated for the presidency or the general number of candidates for the new government.

The Electoral Congress is tentatively scheduled for March 26-27 in person in Lausanne, although due to the epidemiological situation it is not ruled out that it will take place online instead.

The deadline for nominations by the National Federations closed on January 25.

Today's announcement comes as the IWF said it was forced to make some clarifications to the IOC after President Thomas Bach made further public criticism of the IWF governance last week when he accused the IWF of an apparent weakening of the anti-doping rules for the purpose of changing the rules approved by the IOC as part of the qualification system for Tokyo 2020, without consulting the Olympic body.

IWF disagreed with the assessment of the IOC Executive Committee and assured in a statement that there have been no changes to the Olympic Qualification System "and therefore it was not necessary to consult with the IOC".

The International Federation, which is trying to regain credibility after a troubled year, says that nations suspended from participating in the Tokyo 2020 Games are still suspended and that others will be sanctioned "in accordance

with the policy for the effective fight against doping."

The IOC said it will hold the IWF accountable at its next Executive Committee meeting in the coming days.

Written by Miguel Hernandez

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