2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships: TRAN Minh Tri Outduels ZHENG Xinhao for 67kg Gold

The Men’s 67 kg category at the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships delivered one of the most tactical and thrilling sessions of the week.

Taking place at the world-class Hushan Sports Park in Jiangshan, China, the session brought together Olympic veterans, teenage prodigies, and fan favorites under one roof.

In a battle of technique, composure, and calculated gambles, Vietnam’s TRAN Minh Tri claimed a breakthrough gold (however silver in Snatch and silver in Clean and Jerk), narrowly edging China’s ZHENG Xinhao by a single kilogram.

Setting the Stage: A Category on Fire

As the fifth session of the championships, the 67 kg class promised fireworks from the beginning. The bodyweight category is historically rich with talent, and this year was no different. With China and Vietnam entering strong lifters and Olympic veteran IRAWAN Eko Yuli (INA) competing in Group B, the stakes were high.

ZHENG Xinhao, born in 2000, had the heaviest entry total (330 kg) and carried home-crowd expectations. His main challenger? TRAN Minh Tri, born in 2004 and representing Vietnam’s next generation of weightlifting stars. Others in contention included Korea’s BAE Moonsu, Uzbekistan’s young lifter MATRASULOV Khusinboy, and the legendary IRAWAN, making a return to the continental scene.

Meet the Athletes: From Veterans to Future Stars

ZHENG Xinhao (CHN) – 24-year-old Chinese contender with dominant national-level results. A heavy favorite to win gold.

TRAN Minh Tri (VIE) – Only 20, he has been rising fast on the Asian scene with a strong showing at Southeast Asian events.

BAE Moonsu (KOR) – 26 years old, consistent lifter from Korea.

MATRASULOV Khusinboy (UZB) – A technically sound lifter from Uzbekistan with junior medals in his resume.

IRAWAN Eko Yuli (INA) – The Indonesian legend and Olympic medalist, now 35, competed in Group B and still showed class.

Other notable names: KAO Chan Hung (TPE), ALSALEEM Seraj (KSA), CHUYEV Sergey (KAZ), and MURATBEK UULU Ishimbek (KGZ) rounded out a strong field.

Snatch Recap: ZHENG Leads, But TRAN Follows Close

ZHENG Xinhao started with a confident 140 kg lift and went on to make 145 and 147 kg. His 3-for-3 showing put him at the top of the leaderboard.

TRAN Minh Tri was equally flawless, making all three lifts: 136, 141, and 146 kg. His final snatch placed him just one kilo behind ZHENG.

MATRASULOV Khusinboy had an aggressive strategy, moving up after each make (135, 140), but missed his final attempt at 143 kg. He settled with 140 kg and third position in snatch.

Korea’s BAE Moonsu went 132/137/138 kg but failed his second and third lifts, ending with 132 kg. Meanwhile, IRAWAN Eko Yuli, in Group B, snatched 131 kg to tie with KAO Chan Hung, showing his classic technical precision.

Snatch Standings:

🥇 ZHENG Xinhao (CHN) – 147 kg
🥈 TRAN Minh Tri (VIE) – 146 kg
🥉 MATRASULOV Khusinboy (UZB) – 140 kg

lean & Jerk: BAE Impresses, TRAN Makes His Move

The clean & jerk session opened with early lifters posting around 150 kg, including Oman’s AL BUSAIDI and Kazakhstan’s NADVORNYY. Action intensified as the top group entered.

ZHENG Xinhao opened at 170 kg and failed. He matched it again on second with a good lift, and went for 173 kg on his third attempt but failed. That 170 kg became his best result at this session.

TRAN Minh Tri played a brilliant strategy. He went 168 with a good lift, then failed 172 on second attempt, and lifted positively 172 on his third attempt.

The big lifter of the session was BAE Moonsu. After a 170 kg opener, he moved to 174 kg and filed firstm but then succeeded in a 3rd attempt — a huge number that secured him the gold in clean & jerk and overall bronze.

MATRASULOV and IRAWAN both lifted 165 kg, while KAO Chan Hung, HU Jyun-Siang, and Aznil MUHAMAD all stopped at 160 kg. It was a close mid-tier battle.

Clean & Jerk Standings:

🥇 BAE Moonsu (KOR) – 174 kg
🥈 TRAN Minh Tri (VIE) – 172 kg
🥉 ZHENG Xinhao (CHN) – 170 kg

Full Clean & Jerk Table:

Total Recap: Gold for Vietnam

With 146/172, TRAN Minh Tri totaled 318 kg to win his first Asian Championships title.

ZHENG Xinhao, despite a better snatch, lost the top step by one kilo and totaled 317 kg (147/170).

BAE Moonsu finished strong at 306 kg (132/174), earning him bronze in total.

MATRASULOV and IRAWAN rounded out the top 5, and while the Indonesian legend didn’t make the podium, he again showed impressive form (now in Group B).

Total Medal Recap

🥇 Gold Total – TRAN Minh Tri (VIE) – 318 kg (146/172)
🥈 Silver Total – ZHENG Xinhao (CHN) – 317 kg (147/170)
🥉 Bronze Total – BAE Moonsu (KOR) – 306 kg (132/174)

Final Notes and Surprises

• This was a masterclass in game-day strategy by TRAN Minh Tri, who carefully planned each attempt.
• BAE Moonsu’s 174 kg clean & jerk was arguably lift of the day.
• IRAWAN, still strong at 35, remains one of the most technically consistent lifters in Asia.
• No world or Asian records were broken in this category, but the tension and execution made this a fan-favorite session.

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