Armwrestling Worlds 2026: Malaysia's Ali NJ and Calveen Petrus Finish Campaign in Japan
Malaysia's two senior armwrestlers finished the IFA World Championship in Tsuchiura, where Azerbaijan and Japan won most of the right-hand golds.
The IFA World Armwrestling Championship 2026 in Tsuchiura, Japan, finished on Sunday, 27 September with the senior and para right-hand events. Malaysia had two senior men in the draw, Ali NJ and Calveen Petrus. Both competed with their left and right arms against the heaviest-weight fields at the championship.
How the Malaysians did
According to the official IFA results:
| Athlete | Class | Left hand (26 Sept) | Right hand (27 Sept) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calveen Petrus | Senior men +105kg | 9th | 13th |
| Ali NJ | Senior men 105kg | 17th | 18th |
Neither Malaysian reached the medal rounds. Petrus's left-hand result was the better of the two. He finished ninth in a +105kg class won by Finland's Matti Marjomaa, directly behind New Zealand's Charles Puiri, who went on to win the right-hand gold the next day.
Right-hand gold medallists
Senior men
- 57kg: Yuusuke Sakamaki (Japan)
- 63kg: Ali Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
- 70kg: İsmayil Mustafayev (Azerbaijan)
- 78kg: Shahlarli Toghrul (Azerbaijan)
- 86kg: Ramazan Rüstamov (Azerbaijan)
- 95kg: Iskren Zdravkov (Bulgaria)
- 105kg: Christos Papadopoulos (Greece)
- +105kg: Charles Puiri (New Zealand)
Senior women
- 52kg: Yoko Yamada (Japan)
- 57kg: Miyoko Kobayashi (Japan)
- 63kg: Lierin Wilson (United States)
- 70kg: Minori Nakamatsu (Japan)
- 78kg: Tomomi Miyaoka (Japan)
- +78kg: Martha Swick (United States)
Final-day talking points
- Azerbaijan dominated the men's middleweights. They won four straight classes, from 63kg to 86kg.
- The home team did well in the women's events. Japan won four of the six senior women's right-hand golds. In the 52kg class, Japanese athletes took all three podium places.
- Papadopoulos won a medal with each arm. The Greek took right-hand gold at 105kg after finishing second in the left-hand 105kg the day before.
- Puiri won the heavyweight title. He beat Japan's Toshiyuki Shishido and Bulgaria's Cvetan Gashevski to the +105kg crown.
Why it matters for Malaysia
Malaysia hosted the IFA Worlds in 2023. Having home-grown athletes take on the heavyweight classes in Japan keeps the country involved at the top level of the sport. The heaviest classes attract some of the deepest fields, and both Malaysians came up against world-level opponents, including podium athletes from Finland, New Zealand, Japan and Greece.
Key takeaways
- Calveen Petrus finished 9th (left) and 13th (right) in the senior men's +105kg.
- Ali NJ finished 17th (left) and 18th (right) in the senior men's 105kg.
- Azerbaijan won four senior men's right-hand golds, and Japan won five right-hand golds across the men's and women's events.
- The championship ran from 22 to 28 September in Tsuchiura, Japan.
FAQ
Q: Where was the 2026 IFA World Armwrestling Championship held? A: In Tsuchiura, Japan. It was hosted with the Japan Arm Wrestling Association.
Q: Did Malaysia win a medal at the senior level? A: No. Official IFA results show Calveen Petrus's best finish was 9th and Ali NJ's was 17th.
Q: Who won the men's +105kg right-hand title? A: Charles Puiri of New Zealand.
Sources: International Federation of Armwrestling (armsportfederation.com), Arm Wrestling Org