Weightlifters lead the chase as Aruna guides table tennis to semis

Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, on Saturday, won Nigeria’s second gold medal at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

• Boxers also into last four as track and field athletes warm up Team Nigeria’s weightlifting team is currently the proverbial goose laying golden eggs as another lifter, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, on Saturday night, won the country’s second gold medal at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Lawal was in dominant form in women’s 59kg weightlifting class, breaking the Games’ records to lift a combined total of 206 kilogrammes.

Weightlifting gave the country its first gold medal at the Games when, earlier on Saturday, Adijat Olarinoye emerged as the overall best lifter in the women’s 55kg weightlifting.

She lifted 92kg in the snatch, 111kg in clean and jerk, lifting 203kg in total, which is also a Games’ record.

The country’s third medal came in yesterday through another lifter, Umoafia Edidiong, who won a bronze medal in the men’s 67kg category.

Umoafia lifted 130kg in the snatch, 160kg in the clean and jerk with a total of 290kg to win the bronze medal.

Edidiong finished third behind young weightlifter, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, who smashed two Games records on his way to a sensational gold medal win, as he added a second yellow metal to India’s tally.

In boxing, Nigeria’s captain, Abdulafeez Osoba knocked down his Bahamian opponent, Carl Hield to easily qualify for the Round of 16 in the men’s Light Middleweight division.

Unfortunately, it was a different story in the Women’s Light Middleweight category (over 66kg -70kg) as Nigeria’s Bolanle Shogbamu lost her round of 16 match to England’s Jodie Wilkinson, who won the bout 4-1 on points.

She lost through unanimous decision.

Yesterday presented the first all