Team Nigeria continue impressive run in Weightlifting Olympics qualifiers in Tunisia

Posted : 17 May 2023

Team Nigeria at the ongoing African Weightlifting Championships continues their dominating performances for the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifications.

The Nigerian weightlifters have continued to churn out impressive performances in their quest for qualifications in many of the categories.

On Day 2 of the event, two Nigerian weightlifters won six more medals at the ongoing 2023 Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship in Tunisia (which also serves as Olympic 2024 qualifiers), after Joy Eze Ogbonne won three silvers and Edidiong Umofia won a silver and two bronzes.

Competing in the 71 kg women's category, Joy Eze won three silver medals in snatch, clean and jerk, and total.

Eze lifted a total of 227 kg to settle for three silver medals, narrowly behind gold-winning Egyptian Neama.

At the 2022 National Sports Festival, NSF gold medalists lifted 102 kilogrammes in snatch, 125 kilogrammes in clean and jerk, and 227 kilogrammes in total to claim all the silver medals. She finished second in the three events behind Egypt's Said Neama.

Said Fahmi lifted a total of 229 kg to win the three gold medals on offer, while Ketty Lent of Mauritius finished third with three bronze medals with a combined lift of 197 kg. On his part, 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze winner Edidiong Umofia won silver in the 73 kg men's snatch. He also won two bronze medals in the Clean & Jerk and Total events.

Edidiong, who also won gold medals at the 2022 NSF, won silver with 142 kilos and two bronze medals in Clean & Jerk and Total with lifts of 170 kilos and 312 kilos, respectively. Nigeria has so far won a total of 12 medals at the ongoing Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship in Tunisia.

Recall that Lawal Rufiatu Folashade and Olarinoye Adenike Adijat began Nigeria's medal quest with three gold and three silver medals on Monday, in that order.

The four lifters thus far have won 3 gold, 7 silver, and 2 bronze medals at the championship, which also serves as the Olympics 2024 qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's medal haul at the championship is expected to continue on the rise on Wednesday afternoon, as Akano Desmond will be competing in the 89 kg men's category by 2 p.m. The 2019 All Africa Games silver medal winner is hoping to add more medals to Nigeria's collection.

The Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship, which got underway in Tunisia on Wednesday last week, will be rounded off on Saturday, May 20.

Nigeria will conclude her involvement in the championship today. The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) sponsored five athletes for the championship.

Team Nigeria continue impressive run in Weightlifting Olympics qualifiers in Tunisia

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