Nigeria para powerlifters win big at African Championship, create new world records

Nigerian para athletes have once again shown their dominance in para sports with another record breaking performance at the the just concluded African Open Championship para powerlifting in Cairo, Egypt.

The event, which ended on Sunday saw Nigeria winning a total of twelve medals, nine gold and three silver at the end of the four day event.

Interestingly, the feat could be described as a another feather added to the growing caps of the para sports in Nigeria with three World Records and two African Records being created in the process.

Roland Ezuruike, Esther Nworgu, Latifat Tijani, Kafila Almaruf, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Onyinyechi Gift Mark, Loveline Obiji and Bose Omolayo won individual gold medals for the country. Nigeria also won gold in the Teams Event for Women.

Bose Bejide, Lucy Ejike and Thomas Kure won the three silver medals. The gold medal won at the Teams Event was however not recorded on the medals table.

In a statement by the Minister of Youth and Sports development, Sunday Dare, he said “the performance of our contingent underlines the country’s status as a leading force in para powerlifting and our strong winning culture and competitive mentality.

“We must not take things for granted or rest on our oars because other countries are beginning to focus more on this sport so as to knock us off our stride.

“We must keep improving and never stop developing new strategies that will keep us at this level of dominance and even go higher as the sport evolves and new rules and techniques are developed,” the Minister advised.

This edition of the African Open Championships is the biggest ever as it allowed participants outside of the continent for the first time.

Over 166 athletes(104 male, 62 female)from 27 countries competed in ten weight classes at the Championships