Nigeria asserted absolute dominance on the opening day of weightlifting at the 4th African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, securing eight gold medals and one silver on Thursday. The teenage trio of Favour Cornelius, Esther Ezenwa, and Chinaza Ezenwa headlined the performance at the Dream Space Hall, positioning Nigeria at the forefront of the overall medal standings as the competition enters its final 48 hours.
Fourteen-year-old Favour Cornelius initiated the golden run in the 44kg category, executing a perfect series of lifts to sweep all three available gold medals. Cornelius recorded 50kg in the snatch and 64kg in the clean and jerk for a dominant 114kg total.
Esther Chidalu Ezenwa mirrored this success in the 48kg division, capturing another three gold medals by lifting 63kg in the snatch and 77kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a combined total of 140kg. In the 53kg category, Chinaza Cecilia Ezenwa contributed two gold medals and a silver; while she narrowly missed the snatch gold to settle for silver with 65kg, she rebounded with gold in the clean and jerk (83kg) and the overall total (148kg).
This weightlifting surge significantly bolsters a successful multi-sport campaign for Team Nigeria in Angola. Earlier in the week, the athletics contingent concluded their events in second place on the track and field table with 11 medals, including six golds from standouts such as Rosemary Nwankwo (100m) and Tejirih Ugoh (200m).
Nigeria has also secured gold in women’s beach volleyball and the mixed doubles table tennis event, alongside podium finishes in judo, swimming, and badminton. The National Sports Commission has praised the young athletes for their resilience, noting that these results demonstrate the growing depth of Nigeria’s youth sports development under the current administration.
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