Qatari weightlifter Fares Ahmed Jaber set new personal records at the Asian Championships in India, putting himself in contention for medals ahead of Sunday’s final results.
Qatari weightlifter Fares Ahmed Jaber recorded new personal bests on Saturday during the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in India, QNA reported, adding that the move had boosted his chances of winning medals ahead of the final results.
The championships, taking place in Gandhinagar, feature 172 male and female athletes representing 28 national federations in one of the strongest editions of the continental competition.
Competing in Group B of the under-20 110kg category and the under-17 +94kg category, Jaber topped the overall standings in his group after a strong performance.
The Qatari lifter successfully lifted 160kg in the snatch and 203kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 363kg, setting new personal records in all three lifts.
Final medal positions will be determined after the conclusion of Group A competitions on Sunday.
Mohammed Youssef Al-Mannai, First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Qatar, Arab, Asian and Afro-Asian Weightlifting Federations, praised Jaber’s performance, saying the athlete’s new personal records reflected the technical progress achieved in recent months.
Al-Mannai said Jaber had promising potential and described his showing at the championships as an important step in his sporting career, particularly given the high level of Asian competition and the presence of world and Olympic champions.
Meanwhile, Qatari weightlifter Wissal Yakhlaf is set to compete on Sunday in the women’s +86kg category, carrying hopes of adding to her recent continental and Arab successes.
Yakhlaf won nine gold medals across the 10th Qatar International Weightlifting Championships, the Arab Championships and the West Asian Championships held in Doha in December 2025. She also secured three gold medals at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh last November.
The championships have also seen standout performances from North Korea’s team, which broke 12 international records, including six senior world and Asian records and six junior records.