Weightlifter Ghofrane Belkhir says she has not changed her Tunisian nationality as Germany speculation grows

Tunisian weightlifting world champion Ghofrane Belkhir said on Monday 7 July that she has not changed her sporting nationality and has taken no official steps to join the German national team, pushing back against days of widespread reports that she had formally switched allegiances.

Speaking on the Mosaique FM programme Recap Sport, Belkhir denied circulating reports about changing her sporting nationality or joining the German national team, and called on the relevant Tunisian authorities to intervene urgently to resolve her situation in a way that would allow her to return to representing Tunisia in future competitions.

She added that she is currently training with a German club that "welcomed her and gave her the recognition she deserved as a sporting champion," and said the professional conditions and care that she had lacked in her home country had been provided for her in Germany.

Asked directly whether she might change her sporting nationality in the future, Belkhir said only: "I don't have a clear answer right now."

What triggered the speculation

On 4 July 2026, Belkhir published photographs on her Instagram account that appeared to show documents related to joining the German national team. Several Tunisian and Arab media outlets reported the post as a formal announcement.

Speaking on Mosaique FM on Monday evening, Belkhir said she had "never betrayed Tunisia" and insisted her decision was driven by neither money nor a rejection of her country. She said she was proud of her Tunisian identity and that her departure from Tunisia had not been motivated by material gain or ingratitude toward a country she had represented for years at international level. She said the reasons for leaving stemmed from "accumulations" and difficult circumstances caused by a former official, whom she held directly responsible for the harm done to her sporting career, without naming him.

A champion's record and a difficult history

Belkhir, born 11 August 2001, is a Tunisian weightlifter who won gold in the women's 55 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent and gold in the 58 kg event at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

Suspended in 2024 following a positive doping control, she returned to competition in 2025 and won three gold medals at the African Championships in Mauritius. In September 2025, she disappeared shortly after the Tunisian national weightlifting delegation landed in Oslo for a stopover on the way to the World Championships in Førde. She had asked to take a short walk inside the airport, leaving her passport and luggage with the national team coach, and never returned.

According to the president of the Tunisian Weightlifting Federation, Zied Laidi, Belkhir had decided to leave voluntarily and informed her coach by message that she would not return to Tunisia, with an apology.

Some months later, the minister of Youth and Sports described the Oslo episode as "unacceptable and irresponsible" and said Belkhir would be required to repay the public support she had received.

No IWF transfer confirmed

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and the German Weightlifting Federation (BVDG) had not issued any statement on a formal nationality transfer request as of Tuesday 7 July. Under IWF rules, an athlete switching federation affiliation must apply through both national federations and observe a mandatory waiting period; no confirmation of such an application has been found. Whether Belkhir holds German residency or citizenship, both prerequisites for competing under the German flag, also remains unconfirmed.

The affair has drawn attention to a wider unease within Tunisian sport. In recent months, several high-level Tunisian athletes, among them Ahmed Jaouadi, Raoua Tlili and Firas Kattoussi, have publicly raised concerns about administrative support, training conditions and career funding.

The Tunisian Weightlifting Federation had not issued a public response to Belkhir's Monday interview at the time of publication.