2023 African Games: Nigerian lifters win 6 more gold medals

Nigerian weightlifters continued to dominate in their event on Tuesday as two lifters won six more gold medals at the on-going 2023 Africa Games in Accra, Ghana.

Supreme News reports that Nigeria’s Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze won three gold medals each in 64 kg and 71 kg, respectively, on Day 4 of their weightlifting event.

Ruth Ayodele, making her debut in the Africa Games, already has a memory to last 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 weight category and has also become a champion.

Eze was also exceptional in her 71kg category, as she won all 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.

Supreme News recalls that the trio of Adijat Olarinoye (55 kg), Rafiatu Lawal (59 kg), 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 golds, two silvers, and three bronzes in weightlifting.

In the 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 of the Weightlifting Federation, said 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