Team Nigeria shone brightly at the 2025 Africa Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championship in Accra, Ghana, clinching a total of nine gold medals as the competition winds down.
Nigeria’s medal haul was spearheaded by Florence Olarinoye Oluwadamilare (58kg) and Ezenwa Chinaza Cecilia (48kg), whose outstanding performances brought pride to the country on the continental stage.
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Olarinoye emerged as the star of the championship, winning six gold medals—three in the Junior category and three in the Youth division—after lifting a combined total of 157kg (71kg in snatch and 86kg in clean and jerk).
Her feat firmly established her as one of the continent’s brightest young weightlifting prospects.
Ezenwa was equally impressive, securing three gold medals in the Youth category.
Her initial silver medal was later upgraded to gold after confirmation of her lifts, bringing her total to 135kg (63kg in snatch and 72kg in clean and jerk).
Their collective brilliance delivered Nigeria’s best performance in recent editions of the continental championship, with a remarkable nine gold medals in total.
The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) praised the athletes and their coaching crew, led by Coach Odurinde Ruth Jumoke and Technical Official Onubaye Sefiya, for their professionalism and commitment to excellence.
NWF President, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Aladi, also received commendation for his leadership and grassroots development initiatives, which have continued to position Nigerian weightlifting for success at both continental and global levels.
The Nigerian contingent is expected to return home on Thursday, August 21, 2025, while the championship officially concludes on Friday, August 22.
With this historic outing, the NWF expressed optimism about the future of the sport in the country, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing young talents capable of excelling on the world stage.
