2020 Tokyo Paralympics: Team Nigeria first batch arrives home, as championship ends

Members of the Team Nigeria contingent to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics have began arriving in batches.

The first batch which touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International (MMIA) Airport in Lagos, Thursday, were received on arrival by the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, joined by the Special Assistant on Sports to President Muhammdu Buhari, Daniel Amokachi.

The welcome party also included media and sports enthusiasts who thronged the Arrival Lounge of the Lagos airport to receive the team.

The athletes, mainly the power lifters, arrived in Thursday afternoon aboard an Ethiopian Airline flight.

During a short reception at the airport, Dare and Amokachi praised the athletes for giving their best and making the nation proud.

The minister commended the athletes for competing fairly and holding their own against some of the best Paralympians in the world.

“You have done us proud. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is happy with you. Nigerians are happy with you and all we can say now to all of you is thank you.

“It is not just about the colour of medals around your necks. Whether you have a medal round your neck or not, you have demonstrated that you have great abilities in spite of your challenges.

“You should also be happy and proud of yourselves. You broke records, set some new world records, received standing ovations many times and held your own against the best and kept your heads up,” Dare said.

Team Nigeria ended the championship with three gold, one silver and four bronze medals.

Team Nigeria athletes also set new records at the championship when female powerlifter, Folashade Oluwafemiayo added a third gold to the contingent’s haul of medals, as she won in the Women’s 86kg Final completed, earlier Monday.

The 36-year-old Oluwafemiayo won the event with a bang by setting a new world record and a Paralympic record with a lift of 152kg.

The silver medalist in the women’s 75kg event at the 2012 Games lifted 147kg in her first attempt and 149kg in the second attempt.

She went on to take the lead with a 151kg lift in her third attempt, leaving her opponents bewildered as she went on to lift 152kg in the final attempt.

Oluwafemiayo was ahead of the pack, which had China’s Zheng Feifei winning the silver with a lift of 139kg, and Great Britain’s Louise Sugden claiming the bronze medal with a lift of 131kg.

Another powerlifter, Bose Omolayo also set a new games record.

Omolayo, competing in the women’s -79kg lifted 141kg claimed the gold medal in the event.

Last Thursday, Latifat Tijani won the country’s first gold at the championship by defeating the event’s favorite, China’s Zhe Cui with a lift of 107kg in the 45kg women’s powerlifting  event.

Tijani won the country’s first gold medal.