Nice initiative from the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The body announces the creation of its first refugee team. It will be composed of three men and three women, and could participate under the name of WRT in the next world championships, scheduled from 2 to 27 September 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A selection procedure has been launched. It starts with a call for applications, open until 25 March 2023. To be eligible, athletes must be recognised as refugees or beneficiaries of international protection, in accordance with the criteria established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Once the team is formed, a coach/manager will be appointed by the IWF, and then a training camp will bring together all the selected athletes before the Worlds. But the body chaired by Iraqi Mohammed Jalood makes it clear on its website: the athletes in the refugee team are not part of the qualification system for the Olympic Games.
