Post by : Shakul

Turkmenistan’s young weightlifting star Didarbek Jumabayev delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 Junior World Weightlifting Championships held in Ismailia, Egypt. The 17-year-old athlete won a silver medal in the clean and jerk event and a bronze medal in the total standings in the men’s 79 kg category. His achievement marked one of the strongest performances by a Turkmen athlete at this year’s international junior competition.

The world championship brought together more than 270 athletes from 53 countries competing across eight men’s and eight women’s weight categories. In the men’s 79 kg division, 17 competitors from 14 countries competed for the championship title. Despite facing strong international opponents, Didarbek Jumabayev successfully secured a place among the world’s top junior weightlifters.

During the snatch competition, the Turkmen athlete completed four successful lifts out of six attempts overall. He successfully lifted 144 kg and 148 kg in his first two attempts. However, he failed to lift 151 kg during the final attempt of the snatch event. After the opening discipline, Jumabayev was ranked sixth and remained only three kilograms behind the leading medal contenders.

The second event, the clean and jerk, became the turning point of the competition for the young Turkmen weightlifter. Didarbek successfully lifted 182 kg and 187 kg in his first two attempts. Although he could not complete the 189 kg lift in his final attempt, his strong performance helped him secure the silver medal in the clean and jerk category.

With a combined total of 335 kg, including 148 kg in the snatch and 187 kg in the clean and jerk, Didarbek Jumabayev won the bronze medal in the overall standings. He finished only one kilogram behind Armenia’s Narek Mkrtchyan, who claimed silver with a total of 336 kg. Egyptian athlete Hussein Abdelrahman Hamuda won the championship title and secured three gold medals with a total of 341 kg.

This achievement marked the first time Didarbek Jumabayev won medals at the World Championships in the under-20 junior category. His latest success follows a strong performance at the 2025 Youth World Championships in Lima, Peru, where he became vice world champion in the under-17 category and won three silver medals with a total result of 305 kg.

Didarbek Jumabayev began his weightlifting career in the Garashsyzlyk district of Dashoguz velayat. From the eighth grade onward, he continued his education and professional sports training at the “Olymp” secondary sports school in Ashgabat. He is currently training under the supervision of Mansur Rejepov, the head coach of Turkmenistan’s junior and senior national weightlifting teams.

Officials from the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Physical Culture and Sports praised the athlete’s achievement and highlighted the importance of developing young sports talent in the country. Osmanguly Handurdyyev, a senior sports official and international referee, also congratulated the athlete and coaching staff for their success at the global tournament.

Turkmenistan sent nine athletes to compete at the 2026 Junior World Championships, including five female and four male weightlifters. Other Turkmen athletes also delivered competitive performances during the tournament. Oghulshat Amanova narrowly missed a bronze medal in the women’s 53 kg category after finishing fourth with a total of 187 kg, while Shabnam Kerimbayeva placed eighth in the same category. Officials believe the performances of Turkmen athletes demonstrate the country’s growing potential in international weightlifting competitions.

#Global News #Sports News #Asia News #World Update