DOHA, QATAR International weightlifting championships have always been held in interesting and exotic locations around the globe, for the simple fact that the sport is most popular in counties like Hungary, China and Russia not North America.

For Whitehorse to be awarded the 2008 Junior World Championships is a huge vote of confidence for the local organizers and volunteers, trusting they can make the event completely unique and interesting the last junior worlds were held in Minsk, Belarus.

But for many of the athletes who participate in 2008, I imagine the Yukon will be for them, somewhat similar to what Doha has been for the Yukoners who are here a different culture, different atmosphere and an incredible experience all around.

Doha is the 50th city to host the world championships, in a sport which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Just a few years ago, Qatar wasn't even registered on the weightlifting map. But now, the country boasts an Olympic bronze medalist and ten world championship titles.

Like any country which hosts a major international event for the first time, there have been some kinks in its organization. On the first day officials and athletes began to arrive, there was confusion over which hotels everyone was staying at, a lack of reliable transportation, and no schedules for the competition for either the athletes or the officials had been posted.

Some of the athletes didn't even know which group A or B they were in or where within that group they were starting until this morning. Competition begins this afternoon (Wednesday).

But by day two, improvement in most areas was already becoming obvious. Transportation, for the most part, has been worked out. And the excitement seemed to be back in people's voices when the championships officially got underway Tuesday evening, with the opening ceremonies.

Although the ceremonies did feature some Qatari cultural dancing, they weren't nearly the spectacle that some may have been imagining. Lasting less than an hour, it seemed obvious that not quite as much importance is placed on such a ceremony in Doha as it has been in other cities.

A few delegates compared these low-key ceremonies to the elaborate celebration in Vancouver, when Canada hosted the last senior world championships in 2003. There were no 2004 championships due to the Olympic year.

Prior to the opening ceremonies, the 10-day event was kicked off with the meeting of Congress Tuesday morning, in which 65 nations took part. Canada was represented by two delegates; Canadian Weightlifting Federation (CWF) President Paul Barrett, and Yukoner Moira Lassen, the secretary general of the CWF.

During the three-hour meeting, Lassen made a presentation in regard to the new one-kilogram rule, which allows competitors to raise their total increments during competition by a minimum of one kg, rather than 2.5 kg. The new rule was brought into effect last May.

'The new one kilo rule, from the female athlete's perspective and that of her coaches, is a vast improvement for our sport of weightlifting,' Lassen told Congress. 'The strategic element of our sport has increased, thus creating even more battles within weight classes, particularly for those in lighter weight classes.

'More battles on the platform produces more exciting viewing opportunities and situations for the live audience, as well as the media reporting on the event. The media must be excited about our sport in order to keep it in the public eye.

'More battles also makes way for new statistics and records,' she continued. 'In Canada alone, we have seen ten new records set in both the junior and senior women's categories.'

This type of progress, added Lassen, also creates battles within national teams. Canada has an unprecedented number of female athletes jockeying for position in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, in March.

Lassen will be refereeing the first group when competition gets underway in Doha this afternoon (Wednesday). Throughout the championships, the women's and men's B groups will start off the day while the A groups will wrap it up in the evening.

The women's 48 kg and men's 56 kg groups, both A and B, will open the competition today.

Yukoner Jeane Lassen arrived in Doha this morning (Wednesday) but does not compete until Sunday, Nov. 13. The Star will have complete results of her events in Monday's edition.

There will be 135 medals awarded over the next nine days, 63 for the women and 72 for the men. To date, China has been the most successful country in women's competition at the world championships, collecting 362 medals. They're followed by Taiwan, with 134, and Bulgaria, with 133.

The former Soviet Union (which is what the area is still referred to when dealing with records over the history of weightlifting) has collected 632 medals on the men's side while Bulgaria has 475 and Poland has 239.