Nigeria’s Weightlifting Quartet Steps Closer To Olympics
The contingent made up of four weightlifters including Rafiatu Folashade Lawal (59kg), Adijat Olarinoye (59kg), Joy Ogbonne Eze (71kg) and Umoafia Edidiong (73kg) and four officials namely Janet Ali, Abdulsalam Kayode and Onubaye Sefiat and a referee: Lawrence Iquaibom , left the shores of Nigeria for Egypt on Saturday last week for the championship that served as Olympic Games Qualifier.
The weightlifters left Nigeria with the firm promise that they would outperform the medals recorded in the 2023 edition where they won three gold medals, seven silver and two bronze medals with five Weightlifters that attended the championship held back then in Tunisia.
It was remarkably a good outing for Team Nigeria as four weightlifters won six gold and five silver medals in an outstanding performance.
Joy Ogbonne Eze rounded off a wonderful performance for Team Nigeria Weightlifters scooping all the three gold medals available in the 71kg women’s category on Wednesday in Egypt.
Eze who won three silver medals last year in Tunisia lifted 104 kg during snatch to win a gold and added another gold in the clean and jerk with a lift of 130kg. The weightlifter made it a clean sweep with the third gold with a total lift of 234kg.
Notably, Eze’s three gold medals have moved her up to the top 12 in the Olympic qualification ranking in her weight class. Lawal, Olarinoye and Edidiong are closing in on Olympic Games tickets too with their performance in Ismaila, Egypt. Only top 10 will make it to the Olympic Games in Paris, France come July this year.
Earlier, the duo of Rafiatu Folashade Lawal and Adijat Adenike Olarinoye on Monday won three gold and three silver medals each at the championship.
Competing in the 59kg women’s category, Lawal and Adijat dominated the category as they carted away the top prizes on Day 1 of the Championship which also serves as Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier.
Lawal, gold medalist in Tunisia last year, established her superiority in the category as she once again claimed all the available three gold medals.
Rafiat Lawal after winning in her category of 59kg said she was thrilled to win the medals she won last year again and that she will continue to give her best to ensure she gets the ticket to represent Nigeria at the Olympic Games where she hopes to show the world her talent.
She was however full of praises to the NWF President, Dr Ibrahim Abdul whom she said his passion for the sport has made them to feel at home and aspire to conquer the world.
The Nigeria’s Weightlifters will participate in another round of Olympic Games Qualifier next month when the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup holds from March 31st through April 11th in Phuket, Thailand.
The competition will serve as the last qualifier before the Olympic Games.
Once the IWF world cup ends, the list of athletes that qualifies for the 2024 Paris Games would be made public through the IWF World Rankings.
