Nigeria wins 37 medals medals on Day 1 of 11th African Armwrestling Championships

An international movie star and entertainer,  Samuel L. Jackson,  has hailed team Nigeria for winning 37 medals at the first day of the ongoing 11th African Armwrestling Championships holding at the  National Stadium, Lagos.

Jackson reacting to the team’s performance told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that he was happy that the team which clinched 16 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals in the tournament had started well.

“I am excited that our team is starting very well and is making us proud, having won 37 medals on the first day of the championships. This is very commendable.

“I am certain that if we are able to emerge winner in this tournament, the government will recognise all our efforts and I am sure, we will be supported for the African Games coming up in 2023,” he added.

NAN reports that the gold medals were won by Idayat Dawodu in the Disabled Women Sitting -65kg Left Hand, Adedayo William in Disabled Women Sitting +65kg, Chinaza  Ogbonna in Youth Women -60kg.

Also, Blessing Ogungbure won  the Youth Women +65kg, Adedayo William in the Master Women 70kg and Blessing Chika in the 55kg Senior Women Left Hand Categories.

Glory Ashogbon won in the senior Women 60kg class and Okecukwu Nnadi in the senior 60kg class.

While the silver medals in the Left Category were won by Ayobami Muhammed in the Disabled Women Sitting 65kg, Simiat Olaniyan in the Disabled Women Sitting +65kg, Mudashiru Alao in the Disabled Sitting +75kg, Abosede Babatunde in the Youth Women -60kg class.

Others include: Simiat Olaniyan in the Master Women 70+kg, Godspower Ikpide in the Masters 80kg, Jennifer Obiora in the Senior Women 60kg class, Ndidi Winfred in the Senior Women, Sandra Ndukwu in the Senior Women +80kg class.

Nigeria’s Samuel Adou won Silver Medal in the Senior -55kg class, same as Chigoziem Ogbonna in the Senior 60kg.

Kazeem Garuba, Clement Bello, Alfred Adewoye, Faruk Ogundipe, Oladele Odukoya, Oluwatobiloba Adedokun, Precious Igwechi, Oluwasegun Ajao, Monday Godwin and Samuel Isamah won the bronze medals.

NAN reports that Team Egypt is leading with a total 10 gold medals, with Team Ghana is trailing behind with five gold medals, 9 silver medals and 4 bronze in the Left Hand Category in the African Championship.

Cameroon follows with a distant three gold medals and two silver medals.

Team Togo and Team Benin Republic had one gold medal and I bronze medal each, while Team Madagascar had one silver and one bronze medals.

Niger Republic, Guinea Conakry, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and Somalia are yet to win any medal in the ongoing tournament

The 11th African Armwrestling Championship was declared opened by the newly elected President of the African Armwrestling Federation, Mr. Charles Ossei Asibey from Ghana at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

It would be recalled that Charles Ossei Asibey defeated the former Acting president of the African federation and incumbent president of the Nigeria Armwrestling Federation, Mr Samuel Jackson, in the election conducted on Wednesday during the association’s congress in Lagos.

Asibey polled eight votes to three votes by Jackson to emerge the substantive African president to serve for the next four years.

Meanwhile, come 2023 Africa Games in Ghana, Armwrestling will feature for the very first time in the biggest sports competition on the African continent.

The events of the 11th African Armwrestling Championship continue today on Day Two at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

It would be the final day in the Right Hand Category.

NAN reports that the tournament which began on July 21 would end on July 24, 2022.(NAN)