By Victor Kanayo
The National Youth Games (NYG), a grassroots sports development and talent hunt programme has kicked off at the Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
Heritage Times HT reports that up to 5,742 athletes across the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who will jostle for honours in about 30 sports.
Already, some athletes particularly in individual sports are beginning to count their gains after day one of contest.
And for now, only weightlifting has started churning out medals in various weight categories.
From the sport comes an update that a 13-year-old Florence Olarinoye, the younger sister to Adenike Adijat Olarinoye – Africa and Commonwealth Champion scooped all the three gold medals for team Lagos in the 49kg female class.
She lifted 56kg in snatch and had an impressive 72kg lift in clean and jerk totaling 128kg to win the medals.
Florence at 12 years, won bronze in 45kg class at the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF) which coincidentally held in Asaba.
Weightlifters from Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital, won all the silver medals after Chidirim Marvelous Ibeh competing for the Green and White team, lifted 53kg in snatch, 67kg clean and jerk and 120kg in total.
Bayelsa State went home with all the three bronze medals, courtesy of Christianah Adefemi heroics.
She lifted 48kg in snatch, 65 in clean and jerk and 104kg in total to place 3rd on the podium.
The weightliftin54g event continues on Monday with the 55kg male class.
Also, other 33 Sports including Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Wrestling among others moved into action.
