The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation has begun the process of returning weightlifting to the Olympics for the first time since 2012 and the five weightlifters that attended the just concluded African Championships in Tunisia , returned positive outcome , TUNDE LIADI writes
Nigeria’s Weightlifters concluded their participation at the 2023 African Weightlifting Championships on a high note with an impressive 12 medals that included three gold, seven silver and two bronze medals in the championships held in Tunisia.
The country’s last representative, Desmond Akano narrowly missed out on a medal after he placed fourth in the Men’s 89kg on Wednesday.
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 Weightlifter 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 .
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.
It took great efforts on the part of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation headed by the President, Dr Ibrahim Abdul en to fund the trip of the contingent to Tunis.
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 charged them to continue training hard and work on their routine to surpass the feats recorded in Tunisia.
He also 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 further said.”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.”
Team captain Adijat Olarinoye was happy that they made the trip to Tunisia , promising to work on herself to ensure that she performs better than she did In Tunisia.
She thumbed up the NWF under the watch of Dr Abdul, adding that ensuring that Nigeria makes a return to the Olympics next year is her target.
“It was an experience for us. We are going to ensure we improve in our subsequent competitions,” Olarinoye, who recently emerged as one of Athletes’ representatives on the board of the African Weightlifting Federation, said.”We trained very hard and worked so much on ourselves to give our very best despite the challenges here and there. We thank God for how far we have gone. It can only get better.
“I want to appreciate the good work being done by the NWF headed by Dr Ibrahim Abdul. He has brought fresh air to the federation and his positivity radiates through everything done by the body.
“ It was his desire to have the weightlifters in Tunisia that made the trip possible,” Olarinoye, who captured three silver medals in the women’s 59kg, noted.
Rofiat Lawal who won three gold medals also in the women’s 59kg, stressed that she was short of words after her heroic lift in Tunis but her ultimate dream is qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“It was just God’s grace that did it for me. It is just the start for me. I want to do even much better to ensure I qualify for the Olympics early. It is a personal dream that I know God can help me to attain,” Lawal told NationSport.
“The NWF board and the President, Dr Ibrahim Abdul made it possible for me. I am grateful and I pray that God will continue to bless the NWF President. He is our driving force and we must to continue to make him happy and smile.”