HA NOI (VNS)– Vietnamese athletes will test their skills at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships beginning on Saturday in Uzbekistan.

Thirteen junior weightlifters, six females, will compete in weight categories from 44kg to 63kg for women and 50kg to 85kg for men.

Viet Nam is historically strong in the women's 44kg and 48kg and men's 50kg and 56kg pools. This year, Le Huynh Truc, Nguyen Thi Hang, San A Cam and Nguyen Tran Anh Tuan, respectively, will shoulder these heavy tasks.

Viet Nam will come up against a record number of 523 participants from 41 countries including Bulgaria, Turkey, USA and Russia.

The winners of the tournament will secure their chance to compete at the Youth Olympics in China next year.

Previously Viet Nam's Thach Kim Tuan earned his berth through the junior tournament to the Singapore's first-ever Youth Olympics in 2010 and won a gold medal in the men's 56kg event. – VNS