Sports
Africa Weightlifting Championship: Nigeria Begins Quest For 2024 Olympics ticket Today In Tunisia
Nigeria will today begin their quest for 2024 Olympic Games qualification in Weightlifting even as two Nigerian lifters, Olarinoye Adijat and Lawal Rafiatu will be on the stage today, Monday, May 15 in Tunisia.
The duo, competing in 59kg women category, will begin their competition by 12noon local time.
On Tuesday, May 16, Two Nigerian lifters will be on stage as well. Joy Eze, (71kg women) and Edidiong Umofia (73kh men) will compete.
Nigeria’s 5th athlete, Akano Desmond (89kg men) will round off Nigeria’s participation in the championship on Wednesday, May 17.
The athletes expressed optimism and assured Nigerians of good outing.
Speaking with Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, NWF Media crew, Olarinoye Adijat and Edidiong Umofia said the athletes are not under pressure to perform adding that their aspiration is to begin the Olympic Games qualifiers on a high note.
“It is one of the championships we need to participate in to get our Olympic Games qualification ticket. We have done our best in camp, the president and his board supported us and we hope to begin high,” Olarinoye said.
On his part, Edidiong Umoafia looked forward to his competition on Tuesday.
“We are not under pressure. We are in competition spirit and we hope to start high as we begin the Olympic Games qualification journey.
“No competition or championship is an easy one. You have to be on top of your game. Prepare well and ask for God’s grace.
“All the athletes are ready to compete.” he stated.
Nigeria weightlifters will participate in six Championships as they seek to return Nigeria to global weightlifting map in the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris, France.
The 2023 Africa Weightlifting Championship which commenced on May 14 will end on Friday May 19th.
Sports
President Tinubu’s Commitment to Sports Development Delivering Results at the Grassroots Level — NSC Chief Olopade
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for transformative grassroots sports development is already yielding tangible results, citing the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) at the National Sports Festival as a prime example.
Hon. Olopade stated that grassroots sports development is a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), with the President giving full backing to the Commission’s efforts.
“We understand that the foundation of our sports renaissance is an intentional priority to the grassroots cadre of our sports pyramid, and this is why the IJA project is very dear to the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and myself,” he said.
He noted that the inclusion of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) as the “38th state” at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State is set to be a game changer, aimed at building a steady pipeline of top talent for major international competitions.
“The Commission has also been able to send about 19 different national teams out for various international competitions thanks to the kind of financial backing and support we are getting from Mr President,” he added.
“Fortunately, many of these teams have returned to the country excelling—boosting the image and bragging rights of our country on the international stage.”
The Director General highlighted impressive breakthroughs in sports where Nigeria previously had little visibility.
“We are now also beginning to excel in sports that Nigeria was never known for before, like the performance of the Nigeria U19 Cricket team at the World Cup in Malaysia where Nigeria finished 5th in the world.”
“And just recently, Nigeria’s young swimmer Abdul Tabur Adama shone at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Egypt where he won gold and set two new records in the 50 meters. We also had successes in sports like badminton with Eniola Bolaji at the World Para-Tournament in Spain, wrestling in Morocco, weightlifting in Mauritius, just to mention but a few.”
The two time Ogun State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development concluded by reaffirming that these achievements are only possible due to the humongous support from His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who remains deliberate about the vital role sports plays in delivering the broader Renewed Hope Mandate for the country.
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