Olympic Weightlifting: Team Nigeria Will Shine In London —Ejiogu

President of the Nigeria Weigthlifting Federation, NWF, Chimdi Ejiogu, has said Nigerian weightlifters will do the country proud at the 2012 Olympic Games holding in London from 27 July through 14 August.

Ejiogu, who recently welcomed back the Nigeria weigtlifting team from the just concluded African championship held in Nairobi, Kenya, stressed that with more encouragement from the private sector, Nigerian lifters will rule the world someday.

Nigeria’s Weightlifting team to the Kenyan Championship, which also served as the 2012 Olympic qualifiers, finished on top of the medals table with 21 gold, 17 silver and 2 bronze medals at the end of the week- long exercise.

Nigeria’s female lifters won most of the medals at the tourney. Chinenye Fidelis, Augustina Nwokolo, Margaret Uwah, Obioma Okoli and Maryam Usman won three gold medals each.

The high point of the champioship was when two Nigerian lifters set new African records to qualify for the London Games.

Chinenye Fidelis, who competed in the women’s 53kg weight class, lifted 115kg in Clean and Jerk to set a new African and Commonwealth record, while Maryam Usman lifted 115kg in snatch to create a new African and commonwealth record of her own.

The federation boss commended the lifters for making Nigeria proud at the championship, urging them to continue to do well in subsequent competitions.

Ejiogu also commended the National Sports Commission, NSC, for funding the weigtlifters to the African championship in Kenya.

—Bamidele Olowosagba