The present study aimed to identify the geographical factors affecting the sustainable development of weightlifting in Iraq, with an emphasis on demand management and spatial capacities. The study was applied in terms of purpose and employed a qualitative approach using thematic analysis. The study population consisted of sport management professors, environmental science professors and experts, presidents of the Iraqi Weightlifting Federation, and expert managers of sports facilities in Iraq. The participants were selected from the study population using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 experts, with the interviews continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. The quality of the study was assessed based on the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The reliability of the study, measured using the intra-coder agreement method, was 89%. The findings revealed that the geographical factors affecting the sustainable development of weightlifting in Iraq were categorized into 168 key points, 48 concepts, 14 subcategories, and 7 main categories: geographical capacity and spatial characteristics; spatial distribution and accessibility to facilities; demand management and athletes’ needs; infrastructural capacity and quality of sports facilities; resource management and development support; green management and environmental requirements in sport; and governance and sustainable development planning. The sustainable development of weightlifting in Iraq requires simultaneous attention to geographical capacities, resource management, and compliance with environmental requirements. Accordingly, the targeted utilization of the spatial and geographical capacities of different regions of Iraq, together with their alignment with athletes’ needs and sustainable development requirements, can contribute to a balanced distribution of facilities, improvement of sports service quality, and the creation of an appropriate foundation for the sustainable development of weightlifting in the country.