HOUSTON, United States, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria will not be allowed to compete in weightlifting at next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics for mass positive doping tests, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on Thursday.

IWF made the decision to give out the punishment?after 11 Bulgarian weightlifters had been tested positive for doping earlier this year.

The federation also said it decided to remove one Olympic berth from Romania because of multiple positive doping cases during the qualification period for the Rio Games.

The IWF's executive board, meeting in Houston for two days prior to the world championships, concluded its gathering with a report that included the ban on Bulgaria at Rio.

"Bulgaria is not eligible to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games," a federation statement said.

The Bulgarians withdrew from the European championships earlier this year after testing positive for steroids.??