Nigerian contingent to the recently concluded para-powerlifting world championship in Kazakhstan have been given a heroic welcome by the sports ministry following their successful outing at the event.
The championship which lasted for eight days saw Nigeria finish second in the overall performance behind China with a total of 8 medals, comprising three gold, three silver and two bronze.
It was quite a contest for Nigeria, as they had to compete against 708 athletes that represented 76 different countries of the world that featured at the glamorous event which was staged in the capital of Nursultan in Kazakhstan.
Addressing the athletes on their performance, Permanent Secretary of the ministry of youth & sports, Mr Adesola Olusade, thanked them for their spirited performance.
He promised continued government support for the Para-powerlifters in their subsequent events.
Also at the reception, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC), Engr. Habu Gumel confirmed that the athletes are always making the country proud and encouraged them not to let down their guards whenever they have the opportunity.
He urged private sectors to do more in terms of sports sponsorship
President of the federation, Queen Idris Uboh, said the championship was an eye opener for them.
She remained confident that they have what it takes to finish first at the Olympics.
“I believe it’s an eye opener for us because every country we’re going to compete against in the Olympics also participated in Kazakhstan.
“We may have finished second behind China but i assure you that we’ll come out tops in Tokyo 2020 in Japan,” she said.
Apart from winning eight medals, Nigeria remained the only team that won two cups. One was given in recognition of the female athletes for being voted best in their category while the other was giving them for finishing second best overall.
