Nigeria’s Weightlifters have ended their participation at the ongoing 2023 African Weightlifting Championships with 12 medals made up of three gold, seven silver and two bronze medals in the championships holding in Tunisia.
The country’s last representative, Desmond Akano narrowly missed a medal after he placed fourth in the Men’s 89kg. Akano lifted 145kg in the snatch and 190kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total lift of 335kg. He is the only Nigerian lifter without a medal.
Earlier on Monday, two Nigeria’s Weightlifters, Rofiat Lawal and Adijat Adenike Olarinoye who competed in the women’s 59kg category won three gold and three silver medals respectively in Snatch, Clean and Jerk and Total. They both lifted 217kg and 211kg in that order to start the medals’ rain for Team Nigeria.
While the duo of Joy Ogbonne Eze and Edidiong Umofia bagged four more silver and two bronze medals on Tuesday at the competition that also doubles as the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier in Women’s 71kg and Men’s 73kg.
The President, NWF, Dr Ibrahim Abdul praised the resilience of the weightlifters who braved the odds to excel in Tunis, Tunisia but warned that it is still a long road to the 2024 Olympics with more championships to be attended.
He called on private and public corporate bodies to come to the rescue of the NWF to ensure that the dream to have some Nigerian weightlifters qualify for the Olympics is realized.
“It was a tortuous road to the championships in Tunisia but we are grateful to God for what he has done for us. We came with five lifters and these have won 12 medals,” Abdul told NWF Media.
“We shall return home to continue with the preparation for the next Championships in Havana, Cuba. It is indeed a loaded year for Nigeria in the sport. We call on private and public corporate bodies to come and assist us. We cannot leave everything for the government.
“I am happy with our performance but I know we can do more. We in the NWF will not relent to ensure weightlifting gets its attention back.”
Nigeria Weightlifters and the entire contingent led by the President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul will return to Nigeria in the early hours of Thursday after putting Nigeria on the path to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Nigeria weightlifters are hoping to participate in six Championship qualifiers as they seek to return the nation to global weightlifting map in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The 2023 African Weightlifting Championship which commenced on May 11th will end on Friday.
