By Amaechi Agbo
Nigeria’s athletes will on Thursday April 24 begin quest for medals at the 2025 Africa Senior Weightlifting Championship (ASWC) in Moka, Mauritius.
Nigeria will be competing in six categories with six lifters. On Thursdays, four lifters will take to the podium to win medals for the nation.
They are Didih Onome Omolola in 55kg and Lawal Rafiatu Folashade 59k. Omolola, who competed at the 2024 World Weightlifting Championship in Bahrain will begin the curtain raiser for Nigeria in the 55kg women’s category while 2024 Olympian and Africa champion, Lawal Rafiatu Folashade will compete in the 59kg. Both categories will commence by 11am Nigeria time.
Later in the evening, two lifters, Tuesday Emmanuel, featuring in 67kg and Umoafia Edidiong Joseph in 73kg will compete from 1pm Nigeria time. Umoafia who has been a dominant force in Africa and in the Commonwealth is expected to retain the gold medals he previously won.
“We Are in Mauritius to make Nigeria Proud” – Christopher Nwadieh, Technical Director
Meanwhile one of the coaches with Team Nigeria lifters in Manutius and the Technical Director, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Mr Christopher Nwadieh has stated that the athletes are in Moka to make Nigeria proud.
Mr Nwadieh who expressed the readiness of the athletes to win medals at the 2025 ASWC added that the priority is not just to will medals but also to use the championship as a preparatory ground for next year’s Commonwealth Games which will hold in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026
“The athletes are absolutely ready to make the nation proud. They are well prepared and motivated to excel. We have the Director General of the National Sports Commission who has been here with us since our arrival. We also have our boss, the Weightlifting President, Dr Ibrahim Abdul also here with us. I can say that their presence gives the athletes morale to excel.
“The target is not just to come here and win medals, our priority is also to use the championship as a springboard for the Commonwealth Games next year in Glasgow. After the Championship in Mauritius, we still have other competitions lined up most of which serve as qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2026,” he said.
A total of 50 athletes from 17 nations across Africa including the host country are taking part in the ASWC which started on Sunday, April 20 and will end on Sunday, April 28.
Nigeria and Madagascar are featuring six athletes each, Ghana 4, Cameroun 8 while host country Mauritius is featuring 14 athletes.
The participating countries and their number of athletes are: Burundi (1), Cape Verde (1), Equatorial Guinea (1), Ethiopia (1), Guinea (1), Liberia (1), Mauritania (1) Senegal (1), Tanzania (1), Zanzibar (1), Gambia (1), Uganda (1), Lesotho (1), Ghana (4), Nigeria (6), Madagascar (6), Cameroon (8) and Mauritius (14).
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