By Victor Kanayo
The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) on Tuesday May 9, 2023, named five athletes who will represent the country during 2023 Africa Weightlifting Championship.
The Championship which is scheduled between May 11 and 20, also serves as 2024 Olympics qualifier.
A press statement from the federation, sent to Heritage Times HT revealed that the Nigerian athletes, three females and two males who will compete in five various categories.
According to the statement, the male athletes are 2022 Commonwealth bronze medallist, Umoafia Edidiong Joseph 73kg and Akano Desmond 89kg in men category.
The three females include, 2022 Commonwealth gold medal winners, Lawal Rafiatu 59kg and Olarinoye Adenike Adijat 59kg, while Eze Joy Ogbonne in 71kg completes Nigeria’s trio in women category.
The statement also disclosed that the Nigerian contingent includes two coaches – Omogbai Tina Nnenna and Ayodabo Kehinde, and they will jet out of the country on Wednesday May 10 via Qatar Airways at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
“The athletes have been camped at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Lagos since April,” the statement said.
Nigeria last qualified for weightlifting Olympics event in the 2012 London Games, where Mariam Usman won a bronze medal.
