# International Powerlifting Federation

The International Powerlifting Federation is an international governing body for the sport of powerlifting as recognized by the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).
The IPF was founded in 1972, and comprises member federations from more than one hundred countries with new ones being added yearly. The first president of the federation was Robert Christ, from the United States of America.
The current interim IPF president is Sigurjon Petursson, from Iceland, after Gaston Parage resigned on 11th of March 2025. Parage was the longest serving IPF president, heading up the organisation for 13 years.
The IPF is the largest powerlifting federation in the world.
IPF is a drug-tested powerlifting federation that restricts supportive equipment in both equipped and raw competitions to an approved list which is updated from time to time. Typically in equipped competition the usage is limited to single-ply polyester shirts and suits with wrist and knee wraps while soft suits and neoprene knee sleeves are permitted in the classic powerlifting division (referred to as unequipped or raw competition).

## History

The first world weightlifting championship was held in 1971 with rarely anyone from outside the U.S appeared. In 1972, the second world weightlifting championship event was held by the Amateur Athletic Union leading to the creation of the IPF.
The IPF split from its long time affiliation with USAPL in 2021 and Powerlifting America became the new American affiliate.

## World championships

* IPF Powerlifting World Championships
** IPF Classic Powerlifting World Championships
** IPF World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships
* IPF World Bench Press Championship
** IPF Classic Bench Press World Championship

## List of national affiliates by region
### Africa

* Federation Algerienne Et De Powerlifting
* Cameroon Powerlifting Federation
* Ghana Powerlifting Federation
* Libyan Powerlifting Federation
* Libyan Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Federation
* Moroccan Powerlifting/Armwrestling Association
* South African Powerlifting Federation
* Sierra Leone Powerlifting Association

### Asia

* Asian Powerlifting Federation (link)
* Afghanistan Powerlifting Federation
* Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association
* Powerlifting India
* Indonesia Powerlifting Federation
* I.R. Iran Powerlifting Union
* Iraqi Powerlifting Federation
* Japan Powerlifting Association (JPA)
* Kazakhstan Powerlifting Federation
* Powerlifting Of South Korea (POSK) https://www.instagram.com/posk_korea/ (link)]
* Kyrgyzstan Powerlifting Federation
* Lebanon Powerlifting Federation - Provisional Member
* Malaysian Association for Powerlifting
* Mongolian United Powerlifting Federation
* Oman Committee for Weightlifting & Body-Building
* Pakistan Powerlifting Federation - Provisional Member
* Powerlifting Association of the Philippines (P.A.P.)
* Powerlifting Singapore
* Sri Lanka Powerlifting Federation - Provisional Member
* Chinese Taipei Powerlifting Association
* Sports Athletics Federation of Turkmenistan
* Thai Powerlifting Federation (link)
* UAE Powerlifting Association
* Uzbekistan Powerlifting Federation
* Vietnam Powerlifting Federation

### Europe

* European Powerlifting Federation (link)
* Armenian Powerlifting Federation
* Österreichischer Verband für Kraftdreikampf (OEVK)
* Belarus Powerlifting Federation
* Royal Belgian Weightlifting Federation (FRBPH)
* Bulgarian Powerlifting Federation
* Croatia Powerlifting Federation
* Czech Powerlifting Federation
* Danish Powerlifting Federation
* Estonian Powerlifting Federation
* Finnish Powerlifting Federation
* Fédération française de force
* Georgian Federation of Athleticism
* Bundesverband Deutscher Kraftdreikämpfer e.V. (BVDK)
* British Powerlifting
* Hellenic Powerlifting Federation
* Hungarian Powerlifting Federation
* Icelandic Powerlifting Federation
* Irish Powerlifting Federation
* Israel Powerlifting Federation
* Federazione Italiana Powerlifting (F.I.P/L)
* Latvian Powerlifting Federation
* Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation
* Powerlifting & Weightlifting Federation Luxembourg (PWFL)
* Koninklijke Nederlandse Krachtsport- en Fitnessbond (KNKF), section Powerlifting
* Norwegian Powerlifting Federation
* Polski Związek Kulturystyki I Trójboju Siłowego
* Federatia Romana de Powerlifting
* Russian Powerlifting Federation
* Serbia Powerlifting Federation
* Slovak Bodybuilding, Fitness and Powerlifting Association
* Slovenian Powerlifting Federation
* Asociación Española de Powerlifting (AEP)
* Svenska Styrkelyftförbundet
* Swiss Powerlifting Congress
* NPB - Dutch Powerlifting Federation
* Ukraine Powerlifting Federation

### North America

* Bahamas Powerlifting Federation
* British Virgin Islands Powerlifting Federation
* Canadian Powerlifting Union (link)
* Cayman Islands Powerlifting Organization
* Asociacion Deportiva de Levantamiento de Potencia (ADELEPO)
* Dominican Republic Powerlifting Federation - Provisional Member
* Federación Nacional de Levantamiento de Potencia de Guatemala
* Federación Mexicana de Powerlifting (FEMEPO)
* Powerlifting America
* Puerto Rico Powerlifting Federation
* Trinidad & Tobago Powerlifting Federation
* Virgin Islands Powerlifting Federation

### Oceania

* Australian Powerlifting Alliance
* Fiji Powerlifting Federation
* Kiribati Powerlifting Federation - Provisional Member
* Marshall Islands Powerlifting Federation
* Comite Regional Halterophilie Force Athletique, Musculation et Culturisme de Nou
* New Zealand Powerlifting Federation
* Niue Island Powerlifting Association
* Papua New Guinea Amateur Weightlifting Association
* Nauru Powerlifting Federation
* Samoa Powerlifting Federation
* Tonga Powerlifting Federation
* Tuvalu Powerlifting Federation (TPF)

### South America

* Federacion Argentina de Levantamientos de Potencia
* Confederacao Brasileira de Levantamentos Básicos (CBLB)
* Federación Colombiana de Levantamiento de Potencia (FECOP)
* Federación Ecuatoriana de Fisico Culturismo y Levantamiento de Potencia (FEFICULP)
* Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation
* Federacion Deportiva Nacional de Levantamiento de Potencia (FDNLP)
* Federacion Uruguaya de Potencia
* Suriname Powerlifting Federatie (SPF)