2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championships: NWF President Hails Team Nigeria Over Historic Feat

2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championships: NWF President Hails Team Nigeria Over Historic Feat

Precious Oham

The President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Dr Ibrahim Abdul, has hailed the performance of Team Nigeria,, made up of six Weightlifter,s, for their historic feat at the African Senior Weightlifting Championships that ended last weekend in Moka, Mauritius, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

He also thanked the National Sports Commission for ensuring that the Weightlifters did not miss out on the championship.

"I am grateful to God for this wonderful performance of our weightlifters. We went with some of our best lifters and they did the nation proud. We shall ensure we have a prepared team for the next edition in Cameroon next year.

 "My speech will be incomplete without mentioning the contributions of NDC led by the Chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko and the DG, Nikola Olopade who was in Mauritius to cheer us up."

Team Nigeria defeated powerhouses in Weightlifting like Tunisia, Mauritius, Egypt and others to emerge champions, winning a total of 18 medals, including 13 Gold, four silver and a bronze medal.

Team Tunisia with 13 Weightlifters in Mauritius as against six presented by Team Nigeria came a close second with 12 gold, 21 silver and 8 bronze medals for a total of 41 medals while Team Mauritius, the host of the championship were third with 9 gold, 5 Silver and 10 bronze medals for a total of 24 medals.

Egypt came fourth with a total of 11 medals made up of 9 gold and 2 silver medals with Cameroon, Algeria, Madagascar and South Africa are the other countries to claim at least a gold medal.

West African neighbours Ghana finished ninth with three silver medals, while Gambia (2 silver medals), Uganda (3 bronze medals) and Guinea with 3 bronze medals also managed to end the championship with medals.

A total of 17 countries took part in the one-week event in Mauritius, with Senegal, Burundi, Lesotho, Zambia and Ethiopia the only countries that were unable to get to the podium.

The six Weightlifters that represented Nigeria in Mauritius were: Onome Omolola Didih (55kg) Rafiatu Folashade Lawal (Women's 59kg), Tuesday Emmanuel (67kg), Umoafia Joseph Edidiong (73kg), Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele (64kg, and Sarah Ovayioza Matthew (76kg).