President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, NWF, Ibrahim Abdul has charged lifters participating at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, to compete firmly and fairly.
Team Nigeria will be represented by two female lifters in Paris.
Rafiatu Folashade Lawal will compete in the 59kg class, while Joy Ọgbonne Eze will fight for honours in the 71kg category.
Lawal and Eze will be aiming to better Nigeria’s weightlifting performance at the Olympics (two medals – a silver and a bronze at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics).
“We are happy with what we have done so far as far as this Olympic Games is concerned. We have two athletes representing us, all of them are females. They withstood the rigour and pressure in the qualifying series to reach their first Olympic Games,” Abdul said at a press conference in Abuja.
“They have come a long way because now they are competing among the world bests. I told them on the phone a few days ago that they should fear no foe.
“Everybody is beatable. Today I reinforce that statement and urge them to compete firm and fair. We have done everything from our end to give them the necessary support including conducting doping tests on them regularly while they camped,” he said.
The weightlifting event at the 2024 Olympic Games will begin on Tuesday (today).
Paris 2024 Olympics: Abdul charges Nigerian weightlifters to ‘compete firm, fair’