The Ealing Winter Club Competition, held on Friday 19 December 2025, was our final in-house competition of the year and took place at Perivale Track Gym (venue supplied by Everyone Active).”
This event followed our Ealing Summer Open Competition, which was held outdoors and benefited from broader external support, higher attendance, and lower venue costs. The contrast between the two competitions highlights both seasonal challenges and the increasing operational demands of running events during winter.
Participation & Teams
The Winter Competition included:
- 23 lifters in total
- 4 clubs/teams represented
Clubs represented:
- Ealing Weightlifting Club
- Middlesex University Club
- Oxford Powers port
- Genesis Gym The majority of lifters were from Ealing Weightlifting Club, with limited external participation. Some clubs and individuals were invited but did not respond. Genesis Gym did not attend this time, while Middlesex University lifters once again showed consistent support, as they have done at previous competitions.
By comparison, the Ealing Summer Open Competition welcomed 29 lifters, creating a larger open-competition atmosphere with wider external engagement.
Officials & Volunteers
This competition was delivered with 4 referees, and we sincerely thank everyone who stepped in to support the day. Some invited officials did not respond, which increased the workload on a smaller team.
Special thanks to Kaveh Panjavi for officiating Groups 1 & 2, and Shafiq Malik for refereeing Group 3.
Despite these limitations, the competition was delivered safely and professionally.
see the competition RESULT HERE and video HERE
Venue, Costs & Entry Fees
The Winter Competition was held indoors and required:
- 6 hours of venue hire
- A rental cost of £52 per hour
- Full indoor setup, including platforms, IT systems, sound, lighting, and equipment transport
Unlike the Summer Open — which benefited from outdoor space and additional logistical support — the Winter event carried higher fixed costs. For this reason, entry fees were increased slightly to ensure the event could go ahead and be delivered properly.
Internet & Screening Apology
Internet & Screening Apology
We would like to apologise to athletes, coaches, and spectators for the internet connection issues and screen delays experienced during the competition.
Temporary connectivity problems affected live screening and caused short delays while results and displays were restored. These issues were managed on the day, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding
Competition Highlights
Despite the challenges, performances across youth, senior, and masters categories were positive, with athletes showing strong effort and technical progress.
The competition provided:
- Valuable platform experience for youth lifters
- Continued development opportunities for senior and masters athletes
- A supportive environment to close the 2025 competition season
Full results are available in the official competition results table:
All result 19.12.2025 update
Special Thanks – The Final 24 Hours
This competition only happened because several people stepped in during the final 24 hours to support setup, delivery, and breakdown.
Special thanks to:
- Kian Panjavi — for major support with setup, IT, sound systems, and competition-day operations. Despite dealing with a bad back for three weeks, he worked throughout the day and still managed to compete — finishing as the strongest lifter and best lifter of the competition.
- Muhammad khan — for managing the warm-up room, guiding beginner lifters to get ready, and handing them over to Kazem on the competition platform. He did a great job with all three of his lifters, who achieved personal bests and new PBs. He also competed himself, despite having a very short recovery period after a few weeks of illness.
- Samuel and Rachel — for hands-on help both the night before and during the competition.
- Daniel and Seamus — for banner setup and heavy equipment organisation and cleaning the night before. Even though they did not lift and had to work during competition time, they still came to help and supported the event.
- Wayland Lo — for travelling a long distance to assist with loading and support, showing loyalty to the club and respect for the coach’s request for help, despite limited recent training time.
- Raza Rizvi — for his commitment in preparation and for helping on the day with practical problem-solving, networking, and electrical/connection support. He cancelled his work trip to Greece in order to compete and help.
- Fatimah Sheikh-Ali — for attending and supporting the event while balancing work commitments, showing true team spirit. She lifted in Group 1 and coached in Groups 2 and 3.
- Allistair Arendse, Club Chairman — for consistent support, refereeing, and presenting medals.
- Nirav Dumaswala, our new club committee member — for helping throughout the day and supporting the running of the competition.
- Kaveh Panjavi — for supporting officiating duties in Groups 1 and 2.
- Shafiq Malik — for refereeing Group 3.
A special thank you also to Kazem’s family for refereeing, MC duties, organisation, cleaning, and helping return the gym to normal within one hour after the competition — especially his daughter Shila as speaker/MC, and his wife Nasrin for her full support with refereeing and setting up.
Closing Note
While smaller than the Ealing Summer Open (29 lifters), the Winter Club Competition (23 lifters) stayed true to our values: opportunity, development, and community. Delivering competitions year-round requires teamwork, commitment, and adaptability — particularly during winter months and weekday scheduling.
This competition also marked an important moment for our club. Following the event, we held our AGM and Christmas dinner, where many members and friends came together to support one another and close the year as a team. Some who could not attend the competition still came to the dinner to show their care and respect, and a few attended even while unwell, simply to say goodbye.
For Kazem Panjavi, this was also the moment to say goodbye to coaching at Ealing Weightlifting Club. He would like to thank every athlete, parent, volunteer, and supporter who has stood by the club and helped build what has been created together.
To read Kazem Panjavi’s full explanation and message, please click here:
Why Kazem Stepped Down
Thank you to everyone who lifted, refereed, volunteered, and supported Ealing Weightlifting Club .
EALING WINTER OPEN – 19 DEC 2025
Registration is now LIVE on Gymcatch!
Join us for our final competition of the year — medals, team spirit, and proper Olympic weightlifting vibes 
Venue: Perivale Park Gym Warm-up: Ealing Weightlifting Club (4 platforms)
Weigh-in: 10AM (Female/Youth) | 12PM (Male)
Age 12+ | Max 32 Lifters | 4 Groups
Tickets for outside lifters now available – £35
Only 10 spaces open to non-members
Club members have priority booking
Book your spot now:
https://gymcatch.com/app/provider/8334/events/7722474
Photos & videos on the day – contact Kazem if you’d like to opt out
Registration closes: 12 December (no refunds after this date)
Full details & schedule:
https://ealingweightlifting.uk/olympic-weightlifting/competitions/
Let’s finish 2025 STRONG 
#EalingWeightlifting #WinterOpen2025 #OlympicLifting #LondonLifters #TrainLikeAGladiator #StarsForTheFuture #BritishWeightlifting
