The 2026 IWF World Youth Championships, to be held in Cali (COL) from July 5-11 is already moving! This week, an IWF delegation composed by José Quiñones (General Secretary), Matyas Lencser (Competition Manager), Timea Horvath (Development and Education Manager), and Andrea Peña (IWF staff) was in Colombia to discuss with the organisers about the preparation of the event.
The IWF representatives were welcomed by the OC Chair William Peña and his team and could review topics such as transportation and accommodation plans, TV production, competition and training facilities, anti-doping operations, and promotion of the competition in general. Other matters such as Opening and Closing Ceremonies, security, look of the venue, and marketing programme were also part of the meeting agenda.
Meeting IWF/OC Cali 2026
A Press Conference was also staged with the local authorities, an opportunity for the hosts to reiterate their firm commitment in a successful delivery of the championships. Colombia, and its capital Bogota, had hosted in December 2022 the IWF World Championships, the first qualification event for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
William Peña (OC Chair, in the middle), with the the IWF delegation – From left to right: Matyas Lencser, Andrea Peña, Timea Horvath and José Quiñones
“We are extremely satisfied and optimistic after this visit! Our Colombian friends have a consolidated experience in organising top-level IWF events, and Cali 2026 will be no exception to that rule,” stated Mr Quiñones after the two-day visit. “In July, our best young athletes will live an unforgettable experience! Colombians are known for their hospitality and we are sure they will also enthusiastically stage a wonderful competition. So far, the preparations are progressing well, and we are definitively on the right track,” concluded the IWF General Secretary.
During the Press Conference
The Cali rendezvous will be the second world event of the year, after the IWF World Junior Championships in Ismailia (EGY, May 2-8), and before the IWF World Championships in Ningbo (CHN, October 27-November 8).
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