Qatar's Ouissal Ikhlef with nine gold medals (left) and in action.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Ouissal Ikhlef delivered a standout performance on the sixth day of the combined weightlifting championships in Doha, claiming nine gold medals across three events at the Ezdan Palace Hotel yesterday.
The competitions include the 10th Qatar International Weightlifting Cup 2025, the Arab Championships for Youth, Juniors and Seniors, and the West Asian Championships, organised by the Qatar Weightlifting Federation.
Competing in the over 86kg category, Ikhlef swept all three gold medals in each championship. She lifted 116kg in the snatch, 161kg in the clean and jerk, and posted a total of 277kg.
At the Qatar International Cup, Ikhlef finished ahead of Thailand’s Supachanen Khamheng, who took three silvers with lifts of 111kg in the snatch, 146kg in the clean and jerk and a 257kg total. South Korea’s Lee Hyun claimed three bronze medals with 101kg, 125kg and a 226kg total.
In the Arab Championships, Ikhlef again topped the podium, beating Algeria’s Amina Mamoun Yahya, who secured three silvers with 102kg, 129kg and a 231kg total. Egypt’s Shams Mohamed Ahmed collected three bronzes after lifting 101kg in the snatch, 128kg in the clean and jerk and totaling 229kg.
Ikhlef completed her golden sweep in the West Asian Championships, where she faced no serious challenge. She highlighted her clean and jerk lift of 161kg, which surpassed her previous personal best of 160kg.
“I am very happy with this achievement, especially breaking my own record in the clean and jerk,” Ikhlef said.
“Winning nine gold medals in Doha is a major moment in my career, particularly with strong competition from lifters from South Korea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.”
Yesterday’s competitions delivered high intensity across multiple weight classes in the combined championships.
The men’s 94kg category stood out in the Qatar International Cup, with an Uzbek lifter sweeping three gold medals after totaling 360kg. Turkmen, South Korean and Saudi lifters shared the remaining podium places.
In women’s action, Turkmenistan’s Anamjan Rustamova dominated the 86kg class with three gold medals. The Arab Championships saw Algeria’s Fares Touiri lead the men’s 88kg field, while Egypt’s Mostafa Mahmoud Abdelhay impressed in both senior and youth categories.
Strong performances also marked the junior and youth events, with lifters from Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar claiming multiple titles, including Ikhlef’s gold sweep in the women’s over 86kg category.
