Ouisal Ikhlef celebrates with her bronze medal.
Doha, Qatar: Qatari weightlifter Ouisal Ikhlef described her historic Asian Games bronze medal as “a gold one” after battling her way onto the podium in the women’s +86kg category at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 yesterday.
Ikhlef lifted a total of 273kg to claim bronze, becoming the first female Qatari weightlifter to win a medal in Asian Games history.
China’s Li Wenwen won gold with 310kg, while Republic of Korea’s Park Hye-jeong took silver with 300kg.
“I am very happy with this medal. I consider it one of the hardest-won medals of my career, given the fierce competition and the presence of top-tier champions from China and Korea,” Ikhlef said.
“Reaching the Asian Games podium is no easy feat, so I feel immense pride in this achievement. This medal holds special value for me because it is my first Asian Games medal; I view it as being just as good as a gold medal.”
The Qatari lifter faced a strong field featuring leading weightlifters from across Asia, with the presence of champions from China and Korea making the contest particularly demanding.
Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, President of the Qatar Weightlifting Federation, hailed Ikhlef’s achievement and said the bronze was the result of fierce competition.
“The competition in this weight category was extremely tough, especially given the presence of champions from China and Korea, athletes with impressive track records and world titles,” Al Mana said.
“The battle for medals was intense from the very start of the competition right up to the final attempts.”
While Qatar had hoped for an even better result, Al Mana said the bronze represented a significant achievement given the strength of the field.
“We certainly aspired to achieve even more, but considering the strength of the competition and the circumstances surrounding the championship, Wissal winning the bronze medal is a significant achievement,” he said.
Al Mana added that the medal would provide further motivation for Qatar’s female weightlifters as they prepare for future competitions.
“This medal will be a major incentive for us to keep working and preparing for future events. We aim to elevate the performance level of our female athletes and achieve better results in upcoming championships,” he said.
