Nigerian Weightlifters on Tuesday continued to dominate in their event as two lifters won six more gold medals at the on-going 2023 Africa Games in Accra, Ghana.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze won three gold medals each in 64kg and 71kg respectively on Day 4 of their Weightlifting event.
Ruth Ayodele, making her debut in Africa Games, already has a memory to last her a lifetime.
Ayodele, competing in 64kg, won gold in snatch as well as in clean and jerk.
She lifted 94kg in snatch, 144kg in clean and jerk and a total of 208kg to claim all the three gold medals at stake.
Also, Eze, competing in her second African Games, moved up a new weight category and has also become a champion.
Eze was also exceptional in her 71kg category as she won all the three gold medals on display.
She snatched 90kg, had 117kg in clean and jerk and a total of 207kg.
The six gold medals have added up to 15 gold medals won by Nigerian weightlifters at the Games.
NAN recalls that the trio of Adijat Olarinoye, (55kg) Rafiatu Lawal (59kg) and Edidiong Umoafia (67kg) all won nine gold medals for Nigeria in their respective classes on Monday.
Nigeria has so far won 20 medals comprising 15 gold, two silver and three bronze in weightlifting.
In 2019 African games, Team Nigeria won a total of 50 medals comprising 16 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals in weightlifting.
Christopher Nwadei, the Technical Director, Weightlifting Federation,
told NAN that the athletes would surpass their previous record.
“Our athletes always make us proud whenever they represent the country in any event,” he said.
The Weightlifting event holding at the University of Ghana, Accra, will end on Friday (NAN)