Onyinyechi Mark Gift made history at the African Open Para-Powerlifting Championships in Oran, Algeria on Saturday, smashing both the world and African benchmarks in the women’s 67kg class. Her record-setting effort powered a commanding performance that helped Nigeria close the event with 13 medals in total.
Quick facts
- Venue: Oran, Algeria
- Event: African Open Para-Powerlifting Championships
- Standout: Onyinyechi Mark Gift set new world and African records in the women’s 67kg category
- Nigeria’s total medals: 13
- Final-day additions: 2 gold and 1 silver, taking Nigeria to 7 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze
- Other gold: Folashade Oluwafemiayo won in the women’s +86kg
- Women’s 50kg final: Ajiboye Rukayat beat Anigbogu Chikordi Esther by 1kg (115kg to 114kg)
The breakthrough lift proved the defining feature of the last day, as Nigeria boosted its medal position with two more golds and a silver. That push brought the overall tally to seven gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals across the championships.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo then added another title for Nigeria, taking gold in the women’s +86kg division. In the women’s 50kg event, the competition delivered a dramatic all-Nigerian showdown, with Ajiboye Rukayat edging Anigbogu Chikordi Esther by just one kilogram—115kg to 114kg—to claim first place, while Esther had to settle for silver.
With 13 medals gathered throughout the meet, Nigeria’s results reinforce its status as the leading force in para-powerlifting on the continent.
