…Delta, Edo, Kano shine too
Team Bayelsa won nine gold medals on the final day of hostilities of the Weightlifting event at the ongoing Ogun 2024 National Sports Festival held at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Shagamu to further exert their superiority in the sport.
Meanwhile Team Delta won three gold medals, Edo got two gold while Kano got one gold medal in the five weight classes of Women’s +87kg, Men’s 96kg, Men’s 102kg, Men’s 109kg and Men’s +109kg competed for on Wednesday.
Standout lifter of the Women’s +87kg category was Caroline Albert of Team Bayelsa who bagged three gold medals in the snatch with her 100kg lift, Clean & Jerk 120kg lift and combine total of 220kg lift while Sandra Ndukwe of Rivers and Joy Yakubu of Benue scooped three silver and three bronze medals in that order in the same weight class.
Desmond Akano of Team Delta retained the three gold medals he won at the last National Sports Festival held in Asaba, Delta State in the Men’s 96kg. He lifted 141kg in the snatch; 180kg in the Clean & Jerk and 321 total to secure the gold medals for his state.
Still in the Men’s 96kg Dirisu Oseni (Team Edo) got a silver medal in the Snatch (128kg) and two bronze medals in the Clean & Jerk (157kg) and total (285kg) with Marvellous Robinson of Team Niger sealing two silver medals in the Clean & Jerk (158kg) and total lift of 285kg while Solomon Chinedu of Cross River finished with a bronze medal with the lift of 128kg in the snatch.
In the Men’s 102kg, Adeyemi Abayomi of Team Bayelsa added three more gold medals with a total lift of 315kg comprising the lift of 140kg in the snatch and 175kg in the Clean & Jerk.
Bauchi’s Mohammed Isyaku got a silver in the snatch with a lift of 121kg; Team Imo’s Ebubechi Onyedikachi Akosa got a silver in the Clean & Jerk with a lift of 150kg while Team Ekiti’s Tope Oluwafemi bagged a silver with his total lift of 265kg. He also got a bronze in the snatch with his lift of 120kg. Stephen Samuel of Team Plateau got two bronze medals in the Clean & Jerk and total.
Team Edo’s Daniel Abdulihen turned heads in the Men’s 109kg with two gold and a silver medal. He captured the gold lifting 164kg in the Clean & Jerk to beat Jamiu Yahaya Abdullahi of Kano who got a silver with his lift of 162kg. Abdullahi also got another bronze medal for Kano with his total lift of 297kg.
Abdulihen won another gold with his total lift of 301kg. He had earlier claimed a silver medal with his lift of 137kg to finish second behind Lucky Orobosa of Team Kano who got the gold with 147kg.
Team Bayelsa’s Patrick Barde got a silver with his total lift of 297kg and additional two bronze medals in the snatch with his lift of 136kg and 161kg he lifted in the Clean & Jerk.
Lucky Joseph got lucky for Team Bayelsa making it a memorable Day Four for them with further three gold medals in the Men’s +109kg with his 145kg lift in the snatch; 175kg lift in the Clean & Jerk and 320kg total lift.
A medical doctor, Benjamin Idiakheua Agboghidi of Team Edo defied the odds to win three silver medals despite only returning from a course abroad two days earlier before he competed.
Dr. Agboghidi got his silver medals in the snatch with a lift of 137kg; 163kg lift in the Clean & Jerk and 300kg lift in total.
Abdul Abdulhakeem Tijani of Delta also claimed the three bronze medals in the weight class.
Meanwhile, in the night schedule of Day 3 on Tuesday, Bosa Uchenna of Team Delta got three gold medals to beat favourite, Taiwo Liadi of Team Oyo to the silver medal in the three categories in the Women’s 81kg while Edim Emmanuel of Team Osun bagged three gold medals in the Men’s 81kg.
Also on Tuesday, Team Plateau’s Daniel Christopher captured minds at the stands with his impeccable performance to win three gold medals.
The President, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr Ibrahim Abdul praised the level of competition at the Ogun 2024 National Sports Festival adding that the Weightlifters discovered would be properly harnessed and monitored ahead of future competitions.
He thanked all NWF board members, Referees, coaches and the NWF secretariat including the media for making the Weightlifting event quite memorable and fun filled.
“I will say it was a complete success for us in the Weightlifting event. We saw new discoveries and some young lifters who are capable of excelling in future competitions with proper grooming and monitoring,” Dr Abdul told NWF Media.
“We have listed out some names of Weightlifters that have impressed us through our Technical department and we shall do all within our reach to properly monitor them through their states to ensure they continue to progress.
“I must appreciate the board members of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation for their ceaseless unwavering support; the coaches, referees and our secretariat including the media for a job well done.”
