With the first qualifying event for Paris 2024 - the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Colombia - only eight weeks away, many of Asia's top athletes have decided against competing in Bahrain, which is hosting a major weightlifting competition for the first time.

There is still plenty to look forward to in the nine days of action, however, including medal chances for the host nation, a likely gold medal for the outstanding Indonesian teenager Rizki Juniansyah and debut international appearances for two exciting talents in China's young team.

The sole senior world record holder competing in Manama is the 96 kilograms lifter Lesman Paredes, who set a snatch best of 187kg for Colombia before switching nationality to Bahrain.

Paredes is expected to see off strong opposition from Kazakhstan and Taiwan, while Bahrain will also have a gold medal chance in the over-109kg.

Like Paredes, the Armenian Gor Minasyan - a perennial runner-up to Lasha Talakhadze - has switched nationality, and on 440kg he has by far the biggest entry total in the super-heavyweights.

Meso Hassona of Qatar is the sole Olympic gold medallist competing in Bahrain and is a clear favourite to win at 102kg, with an entry total of 400kg.

China won a record seven gold medals in Tokyo and although none of the seven is in Bahrain, all but one of China's team of eight has posted the highest entry total in their category.

The only exception is Shulin Xiang in the men's 73kg, in which Juniansyah - one of the most exciting young talents in the sport - is the gold medal favourite.

Juniansyah holds a sweep of junior world records, one of which was set only three months ago at the Asian Junior Championships.

The 21-year-old Peng Cuiting, in the women's 76kg, and 24-year-old Lu Delin in the men's 81kg have both attracted a lot of attention for making hugely impressive numbers in training but neither has competed outside China yet.

They will both be expected to win gold, as will Wang Jiali when she takes on the junior world record holder Yulduz Jumabayeva, of Turkmenistan, in the women's 49kg tomorrow.

There was heartbreak in Tokyo for the 87kg lifter Ankhtsetseg Munkhjantsan, who would have become Mongolia's first-ever Olympic weightlifting medallist had she made her final attempt.

Munkhjantsan finished fourth, then came back to win the world title in December and can add a continental gold in Manama.

Kazakhstan has gold medal chances in the women's events through Aizada Muptilda at over-87kg, Aray Nurlybekova in 76kg and Zulfiya Chinshanlo in 55kg.

Chinshanlo, a triple world champion and Tokyo bronze medallist who forfeited a London 2012 gold medal because of a doping disqualification, is up against Yu Linglong of China, who has not competed internationally since she won the 2016 junior world title.

Vietnam, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran - which has entered seven women in a team of 17 - also have medal chances in what promises to be an intriguing competition.