Manchester To Stage 2020 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. Taking place at Wythenshawe Forum, the National Lottery funded Manchester 2020 Road to Tokyo Para Powerlifting World Cup and Tokyo Paralympic Qualifier will be held between 20-23 February 2020.

The announcement to host a major Paralympic qualifier for the first time in the UK, comes on the back of a successful World Para Powerlifting Championships for British lifters which recently took place in Nur-Sultan,  Kazakhstan.  

The seven-strong British squad recorded multiple personal bests and top-ten finishes across various weight categories, with a standout performance from European Champion Louise Sugden who set a new British record of 120kg in the Women’s up to 80kg class.

The competition will be one of the final qualification events for athletes aspiring to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and will provide an excellent opportunity for Rio Paralympic medallists Zoe Newson and Ali Jawad to secure their ranking spots alongside other GB hopefuls Louise Sugden, Olivia Broome and Micky Yule.

Ashley Metcalfe, CEO for British Weight Lifting commented “I am delighted that we will be hosting the WPPO World Cup in February. 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 high 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 involved in hugely exciting and passionate sport.”

Esther Britten, Head of Major Events at UK Sport said: “As we build toward Tokyo 2020, we are proud that this World Cup will be part of an exciting package of international sporting events, backed by National Lottery funding, that we will stage in the UK over the next year.

“We look forward to working with our event partners to not only deliver a world-class competition for athletes, but also an inspirational event for Manchester, who will no doubt be there in the stands to cheer on the British team.”

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “ Wythenshawe Forum is at the heart of the community and hosting such an important sporting occasion here demonstrates what a dynamic venue it is.  

"I hope that all competitors and everyone supporting the event has a wonderful experience in the Forum and in our world-class sporting city, in what will be a strong competition ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics.”

Manchester is a globally recognised sporting capital that has secured its place as an international destination for sport, tourism and business. Wythenshawe Forum has previously held a number of international sporting events,including weightlifting and provides a fully accessible venue. 

The Manchester World Cup is part of a series of Tokyo qualifying events recently announced by the WPPO, which includes for the first time Thailand, in November and the Ready Steady Tokyo Para Powerlifting World Cup in September 2019. 

The full calendar of Para Powerlifting events can be viewed here https://www.paralympic.org/powerlifting/events

Further details on entries and tickets will be released over the coming weeks, for further information please email manchester2020ppwc@mlsgb.co