By John Essien
Team Nigeria has won another medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom after Edidiong Umoafia emerged third in the men’s weightlifting on Sunday.
The 18-year-old clinched bronze in the men’s 67kg weightlifting event few hours after Olarinoye Adijat struck gold in the women’s 55kg weightlifting category.
Umoafia lifted a combined 290kg to get on the men’s 67kg podium, finishing behind second placed Vaipava Loane from Samoa, who finished with a lift of 293kg and India’s Jeremy Lalrinnunga, who made a lift of 300kg, a games record to clinch the gold medal.
Team Nigeria still remains in ninth place with a gold medal and a bronze in medal standing.
In table tennis, Nigeria’s men’s team progressed into the semi-final after a 3-2 defeat of Malaysia in the quarter-final.
The Team Nigeria contingents were forced to come from behind to beat the Asians after the duo of Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo lost the first game 3-1.
Aruna Quadri levelled the match with a 3-1 victory over Mas Leong before Abiodun lost to Mas Wong in the third game.
However, Quadri and Omotayo scored identical 3-1 victories over their opponents in the fourth and fifth games to book a place in the semi-final billed for Monday.
