Paris 2024: "I Will Give My All To Defend My Fatherland" - Rafiatu Lawal

Paris 2024: "I Will Give My All To Defend My Fatherland" - Rafiatu Lawal

Precious Oham

Nigeria's Weightlifter, Rafiatu Lawal has promised to give her best to defend her fatherland when she goes for the medal hunt in Women's 59kg at the Paris Olympics, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

Nigeria's Weightlifters at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games will begin the chase for medals on Thursday, August 8th, 2024, when Lawal files out in the Women's 59kg weight class at the South Paris Arena inside Paris Expo Complex.

Rafiatu got the nod to represent Nigeria in Paris after she qualified, having garnered the needed points in various Championships she attended, and as she marked her Olympic debut, she carries the aspirations and hope of other Nigerians who expect her to give a good account of herself in Paris.

Lawal, a 27-year-old lifter, was twice African Champion at the African Games in 2019 and 2023 in Morocco and Ghana, and she's also a Commonwealth Games champion in Birmingham in 2022. 

According to her, she is in high spirits and charged to ensure Nigeria ranks among the best in the Women's 59kg at the end of Thursday when results are out.

"I have prepared very well for this and am eager to give my best in Paris, France. The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, under the able leadership of Dr Ibrahim Abdul, started a good job camping us before the Ministry of Sports took over,r, and it is my wish to do my best in the competition.

"It is my Olympic Games debut but I am not greenhorn because I have taken part in many competitions that have equipped me for moments like this. I am going to the competition with the high hopes of giving my all to defend my fatherland."

The Weightlifter will be up against the reigning Olympic champion in the weight class, 30-year-old Chinese Taipel's Chun Hsing Kuo. Kuo also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Shifang Luo of China, who at just 23 years old is the current World Record Holder in the weight class with a lift of 248kg, is another strong competitor against the Nigerian. She's making her Olympics debut and has come with so much promise, while another 2021 Olympic Games Gold medallist in the Women's 64kg, Charron Maude of Canada, is another lifter to be on the lookout for. 

Others to compete against Lawal are Ann Elreen Ando (Philippines), Anyelin Venegas (Venezuela), Lucrezia Magistris (Italy), Yenny Alvarez (Colombia), Mathlynn Sasser (Marshall Islands), Kamila Konotop (Ukraine), Dora Tchakoute (France), and Mexican's Valdivia Gomez.