Team Nigeria clinched its first medals at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in the women’s individual events, as efforts from the Weightlifting duo of Chika Amalaha and Nkechi Okpara helped the country move up the medals table.
Amalaha, 16, beat Papua New Guinea’s Dika Toua, 30, and Santoshi Matsa, 20, of India, to Gold in Group A of the women’s 53kg class at the Clyde Auditorium on Friday.
The Rivers-state born athlete, who weight: 53Kg/116lbs, put up an impressive performance which quickly project Nigeria to seventh on the medal standings (as at time of report), after lifting a total of 196kg weight to claim the contest against Toua’s 193kg and Matsa’s 188kg.
Meanwhile, Okpara, 18, claimed Team Nigeria’s first medal of the championship on Day one, with her third-place performance in Group A of the women’s 48kg class at the same venue.
The Abia-born athlete hoisted a total weight of 162kg, 8kg less than silver medalist, 19-year-old Mirabai Chanu Saikhom’s effort and 11 less than Sanjita Khumukcham, 20, who claimed gold. Both Saikhom and Khumukcham are competing for India.
More of Nigeria’s medal hopefuls returns in the weightlifting event scheduled for Saturday.