By Victor Kanayo
Team Nigeria para-powerlifters at the 2022 African Open Championships which ended in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, hauled a total of 12 quality medals.
The medals, Heritage Times HT reports, included nine gold and three silver at the end of the four-day event.
The team on top form during the competition created three World Records and two African Records in the process.
Nigerian para-athletes – Roland Ezuruike, Esther Nworgu, Latifat Tijani, Kafila Almaruf, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Onyinyechi Gift Mark, Loveline Obiji and Bose Omolayo won individual gold medals for the country.
Bose Bejide, Lucy Ejike and Thomas Kure won three silver medals.
The Nigerian athletes also won gold in the team events for women.
The gold medal won at the team event was however, not recorded on the medals’ table.
According to the organisers, this year’s edition of the Championships is the biggest ever as it allowed participants outside of the continent for the first time.
Over 166 athletes – 104 male, 62 female from 27 countries competed in ten weight classes at the Championships.
Reacting to Nigeria’s performance, Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports development Sunday Dare commended Nigeria’s para powerlifters for their impressive outing.