It is difficult to find centralised information about powerlifting federations in Hong Kong, so I have gathered information about 3 different organisations to save you the hassle! I would say Hong Kong’s powerlifting community is solid but there is still much room for improvement. But, we are witnessing a lot of young lifters joining the sport and sporting heavy numbers that can rival lifters in open categories! Hopefully we will see you in the next competitions!
Generally speaking, most, if not all of the powerlifting federations here do drug testing. So, if you are on a cycle right now, you might have to wait until you are “legally” drug-free (by each federation’s standards). Please be aware that some powerlifting federations in Hong Kong may also want their athletes to stay drug-free during off-season.
USAPL in Hong Kong – International Powerlifting Federation in HK
Instagram: @usaplhongkong
Rulebook: USAPL
Do I need to be a member to compete? Yes
Overseas competition: Yes
Drug-tested: Yes
Affiliated gym: Classics Strength Academy (San Po Kong)
Hong Kong’s powerlifters rejoice as USAPL decided to expand in Hong Kong with Classics Strength Academy as their affiliated partner! Even though it only hosted 1 competition to date, it is easily one of the biggest powerlifting meets of the year with lifters such as Keenan Lee gracing the platform with a 935 total. The meet’s standard was quite high and there are plans from organisers to make an even bigger meet with 100 lifters! USAPL members can also join other USAPL competitions in other countries with their membership. Top lifters of each meet may qualify for their August Championships too!
Even though I suggest lifters to aim for personal growth, I have to point out that winners do get prizes and a slick medal! I personally won some SBD knee sleeves from them, but top lifters of the entire competition get lululemon and other good stuff!
Hong Kong Powerlifting Federation – Local Powerlifting Federation
Website (inactive): https://www.hkpowerlifting.com/
Instagram: @hongkongpowerlifting
Facebook (Inactive): @HKPowerlifting
Rulebook: World Powerlifting
Do I need to be a member to compete? No
Overseas competition: No
Drug-tested: Yes
Hong Kong Powerlifting Federation (HKPF) is one of the organisations that helped popularise powerlifting in Hong Kong! They have been active since 2018 and hosted multiple competitions throughout the years. In 2022, they hosted the Hong Kong Open 2022 in November which had over 40 athletes lifting on the platform! Beginners may find their competitions less intimidating too.
Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association Limited – Regional/International Powerlifting Federation in HK
Website: https://www.hkwpa.org.hk/index
Instagram (inactive): @hkwpa_powerlifting_hong_kong
Rulebook: IPF
Do I need to be a member to compete? Yes
Overseas competition: Yes
Drug-tested: Yes
Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association Limited (HKWPA) is an organisation that hosts IPF standard powerlifting meets. They do isolated competitions such as Hong Kong Bench Championships, a squat competition back in 2019. HKWPA do host competitions in big venues. Occasionally, they sponsor top performing athletes to compete overseas but athletes would have to agree to being drug-tested even during off-season. As they are affiliated with IPF, HKWPA has social media rule books which indicate that athletes need to be responsible with their posts or risk penalties.
HKWPA does not contain itself to powerlifting and it actually hosts Olympic weightlifting competitions as well. Here is the list of HKWPA’s affiliated organisations:
- International Powerlifting Federation (IPF)
- Asian Powerlifting Federation (APF)
- Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC)
- International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
- Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF)
Note to lifters:
For beginners, I do believe it is important to check out the rule books before deciding on whether you want to compete in that federation. This is because each federation has a different limitation to athletes. For example, IPF does not allow lifters to put their feet on the bench during setup, and has social media regulations. Some federations are more strict than others when it comes to what equipment you can bring as well. Familiarising with the rulebook before competing will save you a lot of trouble and help you put your mind off changing an entire technique for the specific federation.
Apart from that, don’t be afraid to join multiple federations if you want to! (Apart from IPF, as they ban athletes who compete in other federations.) Lifters often bounce from one competition to another. Even if you have only participated in one federation, it is never an issue to join another competition if you feel like the dates suit you better or the other federation is just generally more appealing. You should always feel like you have the freedom to explore, have fun and lift well!
I did a comparison between USAPL and IPF in Hong Kong. Please check it out!