Athletes from 21 African countries are in Yaounde to compete in the African Senior Men and Women Weightlifting Championship.

The competition which opened this May 8, 2016, at the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex is in line with qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The athletes shall be competing for six days at the end of which nine of them will qualify for the Games.

Chairing the opening ceremony of the competition, the President of the Cameroon Weightlifting Federation, Boukar Tikire thanked participants for honouring the rendezvous in Cameroon.

The President of the African Federation of Weightlifting on his part, called on all athletes to exercise discipline and fair play throughout the championship.