NIGERIA has won nine gold medals at the Weightlifting event in the on-going 2023 African Games in Ghana.

The country’s weightlifters continued in their dominance as they hauled all the nine gold medals on display on Monday, March 11 in each category of snatch, clean and jerk and total.

The nine gold were won among Nigeria’s Adijat Olarinoye, Rafiatu Lawal and Edidiong Umoafia at the University of Ghana, Legon.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Adijat Olarinoye, who competed in the 55kg class, won three gold medals in all three categories.

She won the gold medal in snatch with an 80kg lift, in clean and jerk with a 105kg lift and in total with a 185 kg lift.

Also Rufiatu Lawal won all the three gold medals in the 59kg class.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold winner won in the snatch 85kg lift, in clean and jerk worth 105kg lift and in total with 190kg lift.

In the male category, Edidiong Umoafia who made his debut in 67kg class amassed all the gold medals in that category.

He won in snatch with 135kg lift, in clean and jerk with 165kg and a total of 300kg.

Since the commencement of weightlifting, Team Nigeria Weightlifting has won a total of 14 medals in Weightlifting events of the 13th Africa Games.

It can be recalled that in the 2019 Africa Games, Nigeria Weightlifters won a total of 50 medals comprising 16 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze.

Nigeria weightliers Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze will be competing in 64kg and 71 kg women categories respectively today, Tuesday March 12.

The President, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Ibrahim Abdul thanked the team for their commitment at the 2023 Africa Games Weightlifting event.

“The commitment and sacrifices of the players are paying off and also the organisational disposition of the federation. Nigeria is a dominant force in weightlifting and that is what we are targeting in Accra,” he said.