By Tunde Liadi

One of Nigeria’s weightlifters to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Rafiatu Lawal remains confident of podium finishing despite facing the rest of the world at the quadrennial event for the first time.

The Team Nigeria women’s weightlifter, Lawal assured Nigerians the weightlifters would put up their very best in their maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.

The weightlifter said she’s eager to join the list of Olympians who have won Olympic Games medals in the past for Nigeria particularly in weightlifting.

Nigeria has won only two medals in weightlifting since the start of her participation in the four year competition in Helsinki, Finland in 1952.

Ruth Ogbeifo won Nigeria’s first ever weightlifting medal in the year 2000 at Sydney, Australia, a silver medal in the 75kg while Mariam Usman, a four time African Champion bagged the second medal for Nigeria, a bronze medal in the +75kg at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China.

Lawal who has ruled Africa and Commonwealth Games in successive competitions booked a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France in the 59kg while Joy Eze is also through to the Olympics in the 71kg having also dominated Africa in her weight class.

Lawal lifted a combined total lift of 227kg, with a snatch of 101kg as well as 126kg in Clean and Jerk in the 2024 IWF World Championship in Thailand set a new African record in the women’s 59kg and also picked her Olympics ticket.

The Commonwealth Games Champion told Nigeria Weightlifting Federation Media that she’s thrilled to be on the plane to Paris.

Lawal said she’s happy to travel on training tours having trained for over two months in Nigeria, stressing that the trip would boost her performance at the Olympics.

Having conquered African Games, Senior Weightlifting Championships and Commonwealth Games, the African Champion believes she can be one of the most successful weightlifters come out of Africa if she can add an Olympic medal to her haul.

“I am super excited to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; I have never felt this happy in my life since I started competing. It is also a thing of joy to set another African record en route to the Olympic Games,” Lawal told NWF Media.

“I had previously said that the most important thing to compete well at this level was proper funding and adequate preparations. I can boldly say that I have had the best of build-up in Nigeria. We were in camp courtesy of our hardworking President, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) Dr Ibrahim Abdul for over close to two months before the Ministry of Sports took over the athletes preparations.

“I am delighted to be on the training tour in Germany and this will help me to hit form before the start of the Olympic Games.

“My motivating factor is from my childhood. I have always had it in mind that I want to become one of the most successful sports personalities in Africa when I grow up. I am happy the coast is becoming clearer.

She applauded Oyo State Governor, Eng. Seyi Makinde, for his constant support while calling on those administering sports in the country to give maximum attention to many medal producing sports including weightlifting since a weightlifter can win as much as three medals in a weight class.

The African Games triple gold medallist continued: “I want to thank the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde for his efforts in transforming sports in the state. He has focused on other sports and is trying his best to give us a sense of belonging.

“We need more recognition and support from the Nigerian Government. President Bola Tinubu needs to give 100% attention to other sports, which always dominate medals when it comes to competition time.”

Lawal applauded the relentless spirit of the President of NWF, Dr. Abdul for ensuring she attended all the Olympic Qualifiers from where she got her ticket.

She said: “My message to the weightlifting family: I appreciate everyone that supports me in one way or another, especially the President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr Ibrahim Abdul.

“At the beginning of the Olympic qualification, he said he will try all his possible best to make sure weightlifting qualifies for the Paris Olympic Games because we did not feature at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In most cases, the President funds our various International Championships with the support of other board members. I want to thank them all for ensuring my dream becomes a reality.”

Lawal set a Games record of 206kg from her snatch and clean and jerk lifts at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the women’s 59kg weightlifting. She has already conquered the continent by picking 59kg gold at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, the 2021 African Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent and 2023 African Games in Ghana.

The Weightlifting event at the Paris Olympic will commence on Wednesday, August 7.