Team Nigeria’s Outing Hailed As Paralympic Games End

Roland Ezuruike broke a world record with a 220kg lift in the men’s 65kg Powerlifting event in Rio

The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio will be ending today with Team Nigeria posting an impressive 8 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals on their way to finishing 11th on the overall medal table.

Daily Trust report continues:

Team Nigeria made their intentions clear from the onset as on Day Two of the events it celebrated a gold and silver medal when Roland Ezuruike provided the golden moment, winning the 54Kg power lifting event in an astonishing manner.

Earlier on same day Latifat Tijani won silver medal, lifting 106kg in the 45kg category to place second behind China’s Dandan Hu delivering the country’s medal.

From then on, it was medals and world records galore for Nigeria as shot putter, Lauritta Onye smashed the world record with her fourth round 8.40 throw. The 32 year-old athlete dominated the event to win gold, giving Nigeria its first Track and Field medal.
Following Onye’s suit was power-lifter, Josephine Orji, who also shattered the world record of the women’s +86kg power-lifting event with a lift of 154kg to win the gold medal.
Another world record breaker was Flora Ugwunwa who won the Women’s Javelin Throw event. With a throw of 20.25m, Ugwunwa set a new world record to beat Tunisia’s Hania Aidi and South Africa’s Ntombizanele Situ to second and third places respectively.
 Team Nigeria’s captain, Lucy Ejike, wasn’t left out as she broke the Paralympic and world record three successive times, to win the women’s -61kg event in power-lifting.
Her successful attempt at 136.kg set a new Paralympic and world record. Her teammate Bose Omolayo also joined the party as she eclipsed her own world record and set a new one of 138kg to win gold medal.

Other impressive performers include Paul Kehinde, who gave Nigeria her second gold medal of the Games in the -65kg men’s category, lifting 218kg to beat his rivals to the gold medal.

Not forgetting Latifat Tijani that won silver in the women’s power-lifting -45kg and also Esther Oyema who added another silver medal in the women’s power-lifting -55kg category.
The team are expected to be received by officials of the sports ministry at the Nnamdi Azikwe international airport Abuja by 3pm today.