Nigeria Clinches 8 Golds in African Youth Games Weightlifting

Nigeria opened its weightlifting campaign at the 4th African Youth Games in Angola in emphatic fashion on Wednesday, sweeping eight gold medals and one silver on the first day of competition to underline its dominance in the sport.

Leading the charge was Favour Cornelius, who produced a flawless outing in the 44kg category, clinching three gold medals. She lifted 50kg in the snatch, followed it with 64kg in the clean and jerk, and finished with a winning total of 114kg.

The golden run continued in the 48kg division as Esther Chidalu Ezenwa delivered another clean sweep for Nigeria. Ezenwa lifted 63kg in the snatch and 77kg in the clean and jerk, recording a combined total of 140kg to secure three gold medals in the category.

In the 53kg event, Chinaza Cecelia Ezenwa added to Nigeria’s medal tally with two gold medals and one silver. She claimed silver in the snatch with a lift of 65kg, before bouncing back strongly to win gold in the clean and jerk with 83kg and gold in the total after posting an impressive 148kg.

At the close of Day 1 of the weightlifting events, Nigeria’s medal count stood at eight gold medals and one silver, marking a dominant start and setting a confident tone for the rest of the competition at the Games.