FUZHOU, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- 2018 World Cup Weightlifting Masters will kick off on Oct 20th in Southeast China's Fuzhou City. It'll be the first time for the event to land China since its inception in 2013.
The competition is organized for the retired athletes, non-vocational weightlifters and the gym fans over 35 years old. More than 200 athletes from over 20 countries and regions will participate in the event.
The organizing committee also invites some former Olympic weightlifting champions to join the game. Meanwhile, the physical agility challenge of "Iron Ants" will be held as well to contribute some fun to the game.
Zhang Xiangxiang, 2008 Beijing Olympics weightlifting gold medalist, told Xinhua he hoped to try hands during the masters. Zhang kept physical training for more than two decades and stuck to the habit of body exercise after retirement.
"Weightlifting helps people build strong body and unwavering will. You'll see the sport can be very energetic, interesting and enjoyable on the Masters. It will bring you pleasure and add more fun to your life."
Chen Wenbin, chief technical advisor of the organizing committee and former coach of China's national weightlifting team, told Xinhua the Masters would offer an interacting platform between the athletes and the audience, helping the public to outline the scientific knowledge about the sport.
"Someone hold the bias that the weightlifting does not help youngsters to grow taller, or will do harm to the body, or does not fit the children or the old," said Chen, "people will see more details and many individual cases will help people to get close to a totally different vision of the sport."
The Masters, initiated in 2013, was previously held in Malaysia, Azerbaijan, United States, Japan and Australia, and has attracted thousands of athletes to attend the event.
