Team Nigeria kick off medal haul with gold, bronze at Commonwealth Games
Team Nigeria have kicked off their medal haul at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, the United Kingdom, with gold and bronze medals.
This follows female weightlifter, Adijat Olarinoye’s winning the country’s first gold medal, while another athlete, Edidiong Umoafia clinching bronze.
Olarinoye lifted a total of 203kg to win the gold medal ahead of her Indian counterpart, Bindayareni who lifted 202kg to win the Silver medal in the 55kg category
England’s Fraer Morrow came third, lifting a total of 198kg to win the bronze medal.
The Nigerian lifted a new Games record of 92kg in the snatch and another 111kg in the clean and jerk to lift a total of 203kg to win the gold medal.
Meanwhile, Edidiong Umoafia on Sunday morning clinched the bronze medal in the men’s 67kg weightlifting event to bag Nigeria’s second medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Umoafia lifted a combined 290kg to get on the podium.
India’s Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the gold medal with a grand total of 300kg, which is also a new Commonwealth Games record.
Samoa’s veteran lifter Vaipava Ioane won the silver with a combined lift of 293kg.
Umoafia’s medal comes a day after Adijat Olarinoye clinched gold to earn Nigeria the first medal at the competition.
The 23-year-old also set a new Commonwealth Games record with a total of 203kg.
At the end of competitions on the second day of the Games, Australia is leading the medals table with 13 gold, 8 silver and 11 bronze medals.
New Zealand and hosts England are second and third with 7 and 5 gold medals respectively, while Nigeria is on 1 gold, 1 bronze.
Competition has yet to commence in Team Nigeria’s area of strength like wrestling, track & field and Para weightlifting.
Reacting, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar(UNICAL), Prof. Florence Obi, has lauded gold medalist, Olarinoye, for winning the first gold medal of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Obi, who spoke, Sunday in Calabar, said the female athletes were making the country proud.
Olarinoye recorded a total of 203kg in the women’s 55kg weightlifting event. The 203kg lift is a new Commonwealth Games record.
The VC said that Olarinoye’s feat in Birmingham was coming at a time when millions of Nigerians were still celebrating the victory of Oluwatobiloba Amusan.
Amusan made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win World Athletics Championship gold medal in the 100m women’s hurdle and also setting a new world record in the process.
She said that the strong determination and the winning spirit of the medalists would continue to fly the nation’s flag at the international stage.
Obi lauded Olarinoye for displaying courage, integrity and good sportsmanship at the world stage, adding that with hard work and determination, success was achievable.
The XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, is an international multi-sports event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Games which began on July 28 and is expected to climax on August 8, this year.