sports

The 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships took place in China.

The contest brought together more than 170 excellent men and women players from over 20 countries and regions including four players of the DPRK.

Most of the players who had mounted the winners’ podium in the world and Asian championships in the past reportedly took part in the championships.

Regarding the championships as a good occasion for making another leap forward in weightlifting techniques of the country, the host country of China fielded the players with rich experience in international matches and young players who ranked in the top three at national games.

Thailand also set a goal of collecting many medals at the championships and paid special attention to the selection of players.

Indonesia, which has demonstrated remarkable technological development in weightlifting in recent years, also sent competent players to the contest by carefully selecting them.

Therefore, experts predicted that many records would be renewed in the body-weight categories of the championships.

Among the players who took part in the championships, the DPRK’s Pak Myong Jin and a Chinese player were the focus of attention in the men's 61kg category.

The Chinese player won first place in the snatch, lifting six kilograms more than Pak Myong Jin. Under the circumstances Pak started to play in the jerk.

He applied for 167kg for the first lift and failed to his regret.

But he succeeded in the second lift and again in the third lift of 170kg, winning two gold medals in jerk and total.

DPRK player Kim Il Gyong displayed high ability in the women's 59kg category.

She lifted 103kg in snatch and 132kg in jerk to win the title with 235kg in total, bagging three gold medals.

The DPRK’s Ro Kwang Ryol played a fierce competition with a Chinese player who was the world and Asian champion in the men's 89kg category.

After finishing runner-up in the snatch, Ro entered the clean and jerk.

He succeeded in lifting 210kg in the first try and 212kg in the second try to be placed first in jerk and total.

One of the sensational body-weight events was the women's 71kg category.

It was a fight between Song Kuk Hyang of the DPRK and a Chinese player who had once finished runner-up in the world championships in the past.

Her first lift was 145kg. Then she applied for 155kg in the second lift and lifted it with ease.

Although the Chinese player succeeded in lifting 135kg in the first try and 140kg in the second try, she failed in the third lift.

As a result, Song Kuk Hyang set new world and Asian records respectively with 155kg in jerk and 276kg in total, winning two gold medals and receiving the most valuable player award.

After seeing the games of the DPRK players, experts said that all four DPRK players who took part in the championships won gold medals, their techniques are very high and it is really a great success.