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MANCHESTER TO STAGE 2021 PARA POWERLIFTING WORLD CUP AND TOKYO PARALYMPIC QUALIFIER

British Weight Lifting, UK Sport and Manchester City Council are delighted to announce that Manchester will host a World Para Powerlifting World Cup in the city in March 2021. 

Taking place at Wythenshawe Forum, the National Lottery funded Manchester 2021 Para Powerlifting World Cup and Tokyo Paralympic Qualifier will be held between 25-28 March 2021.

The announcement to host a major Paralympic qualifier in the UK, comes on the back of hosting a very successful World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Manchester in February 2020, where British lifters claimed 9 medals.  With the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games now just nine months away, this competition will be a standout opportunity for the Paralympic movements strongest athletes to achieve the ranking places needed to make the Games.
 
The competition will be one of the final qualification events for athletes aspiring to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, following an extension to the qualification period due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  
 
Ashley Metcalfe, CEO for British Weight Lifting commented: “I am delighted that we will be hosting the WPPO World Cup in March.  I would like to thank UK Sport and Manchester City Council for their support and providing this fantastic opportunity to showcase Para Powerlifting in a city renowned for world class sport.

“We look forward to welcoming lifters from across the globe and hope it will inspire not just our leading lifters to perform at their very best and strengthen their bids to be selected for Tokyo but also the next generation of athletes keen to get in involved in a hugely exciting and passionate sport.”
 
Esther Britten, Acting Deputy Director of Major Events at UK Sport said: “The announcement of the World Para Powerlifting World Cup is brilliant news as we look to get back to hosting major international sporting events that will help British athletes qualify and prepare for Tokyo.  We thoroughly enjoyed working with event hosting partners to deliver the previous event and very much looking forward to doing the same again.”
 
Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “We're proud to be working with British Weight Lifting and UK Sport to welcome some of the world's top Para Powerlifters to the fully accessible Wythenshawe Forum.  With plans being put in place to ensure that this World Cup event can be staged in a Covid-safe manner, it will provide Britain's leading stars with a great opportunity to qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympic Games."
 
Manchester is a globally recognised sporting capital that has secured its place as an international destination for sport, tourism and business. The city is a leading light in the successful hosting of international sport in this new era, having successfully staged the Manchester Open international squash tournament and the Muller British Athletics Championships in September.  Wythenshawe Forum has previously held a number of international sporting events, including weightlifting and provides a fully accessible venue. 
 
The full calendar of Para Powerlifting events can be viewed here.
 
For more information about this event contact competitions@britishweightlifting.org
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