North Korea has submitted a preliminary list of athletes to compete in the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships, raising expectations that the reclusive country may return to the international sports arena following years of COVID-19-related border shutdowns.

According to the list unveiled by the International Weightlifting Federation on Saturday, the North has registered 16 athletes for the championships slated for Sept. 4-17 in Riyadh.

If the participation is realized, it would mark the country's return to an international sports competition after three years and seven months.

But it remains unclear whether the North would actually take part in the event.

North Korea had not sent its athletes to the IWF Grand Prix I held in Hanava last month despite registering its weightlifters for the event. The absence in the event, one of the five qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics, made it impossible for the country to compete in Paris under IWF rules.

The North is refusing to comply with increasingly tightening international anti-doping regulations.

In order to participate in international weightlifting competitions, athletes must register their whereabouts information on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS) at least two months prior to the event. The registration deadline for major sports events such as the World Championships or Olympics is three months before they open.

The IWF announced the North's national weightlifting governing body provided essential residential information for North Korean athletes this time.

It emphasized the country's provision of such information, which can be scrutinized by the WADA and the International Testing Agency, is significant progress.

However, if North Korea does not grant entry to international doping control officers for random testing, the significance of the registration would diminish.

Pyongyang has prohibited the entry of doping officials since 2020, when it imposed border controls due to the pandemic.