TEHRAN - Former International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) interim president Ursula Papandrea has sent an encouraging message to the Iranian women weightlifters.

Four women weightlifters, namely Elnaz Bajelani (76kg), Elham Hosseini (81kg), Yekta Jamali (87kg) and Fatemeh Yousefi (+87kg) will represent Iran at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

"I want to wish them a strong performance. They are physically and mentally strong women who have risen more quickly than anyone could have predicted," Papandrea said in an exclusive interview with Tehran Times.

"I am no longer surprised by them and expect they will win medals. I am excited to see what the future holds for the women’s team in Iran," she added.

Papandrea has been recently nominated by USA Weightlifting (USAW) to stand for International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President.

The IWF will hold elections for its presidency, executive board and various commissions on Dec. 20 and 21 in Tashkent.