Kenya replaces Madagascar for weightlifting Olympics qualifiers

KENYA has been awarded the hosting rights for the final African qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympic Games, taking over from Madagascar.

Madagascar, which had been pencilled to host the event from May 18-23, is now on Covid lockdown.

Per the latest arrangements, the one-week qualifiers will now commence on May 24, this month, in the capital Nairobi.

Kenya last hosted the African Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships from December 7 and 11, 2020, featuring 12 countries including Ghana.

This is the second time the Olympics African qualifiers had changed hands.

It is recalled that Mauritius was handed the rights to host the event in March last year, but was postponed thrice due to the rampaging rise in coronavirus cases.

Later, Madagascar was announced as new hosts only to be changed on Wednesday after a meeting of the Executive Board of the Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA).