African Games: Nigeria secures 2nd position with 6 more gold medals

Team Nigeria at the ongoing African Games in Accra, Ghana, has scooped six additional gold medals in weightlifting to swell the country’s medal haul to 22 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze for a total of 49 medals, thereby consolidating on their second position on the table.

It will be recalled that even before yesterday’s heroics by Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze, in weightlifting, and the two bronze medals in swimming and judo, Team Nigeria had amassed 16 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze to leapfrog Algeria and South Africa to the second position.

The trio of Adijat Olarinoye, (55kg) Rafiatu Lawal (59kg) and Edidiong Umoafia (67kg) each won three gold medals in their respective classes for a total of nine gold medals in weightlifting which swelled Nigeria’s gold medals to 16 on Monday night.

Interestingly, yesterday was the turn of Ayodele and Eze who won three gold medals each in their 64kg and 71kg classes respectively to bring the total number of gold medals in weightlifting to 15.

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Ayodele is making her debut in the Africa Games, and she already has a memory to last her a lifetime. Joy Eze on her part, is featuring in her second African Games. She moved up a new weight category and has also become a champion in it. 

Ayodele, competing in 64kg won gold in snatch, as well as clean and jerk and total. She lifted 94kg in snatch, 144kg in clean and jerk and a total of 208kg to claim all the three gold medals at stake. 

Eze was also exceptional in her 71kg category as she won all the three gold medals on display. She snatched 90kg, had 117kg in clean and jerk and a total of 207.

The Weightlifting event at the Africa Games at the University of Ghana, will end on Friday, March 15. 

Team Nigeria also won a bronze medal in female judo as Franca Audu defeated Sarah Rioux of Mauritius in the bronze medal bout while in a reversal of fortune, Ismael Alhassan lost to his Central African Republic opponent.

As at the time of press, there was also a rare medal for Team Nigeria in swimming in men’s 4x100m Freestyle as the quartet of Collins Ebingha, Clinton Opute, Adams Abduljabar and Tobi Sijuwade finished in 3:26.01s to win bronze medal.

Egypt is currently leading the table with 51 gold, 21 silver and 20 bronze medals while Algeria is third with 18 gold, 23 silver and 23 bronze medals.