Oyo State weightlifter, Ayodele Ruth has joined Team Nigeria’s weightlifter to represent Nigeria at the 2023 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to a statement signed by the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF)’s media officer, Mr. Amaechi Agbo, the contingent boarded an Ethiopia Airline at 1.30 p.m. local time yesterday from MM IA to Riyadh.
Ameachi said the championship, which serves as a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, commenced on September 4 and would be concluded on September 17.
Ayodele Ruth, who represented Oyo State and won two golds and one silver at the National Sports Festival Delta 2022, will compete in the 64 kg women’s categories on Sept.10 at 2.30 p.m.
It will be recalled that Nigeria had a glorious outing in their first Olympic Games qualifying race in Tunisia four months ago when five athletes amassed 12 medals at the 2023 Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship in Tunisia, which also served as a 2024 Olympic Games qualifier.
The weightlifter who had been in camp for the past two months is optimistic that they would consolidate their Olympic Games 2024 qualification hopes in Riyadh.
The 2023 IWF Championship has a record entry of 117 countries participating with 719 lifters made up of 365 men and 354 women.
Nigeria’s weightlifters will participate in three championship qualifiers as they seek to return the country to the global weightlifting map in the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris, France.
