Team Nigeria won their second medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games today as teenager Edidiong Joseph Umoafia clinched bronze in weightlifting.
The bronze follows the gold Adijat Adedoyin Olarinoye won last night to open the anticipated floodgates of medals for Team Nigeria.
Both Team Nigeria medals are in weightlifting, with Olarinoye’s coming from women’s 55kg and 19-year-old Umoafia’s from men’s 67kg.
India’s Lalrinnunga Jeremy, who is also 19, won gold in Umoafia’s event, lifting a total of 300kg, which is a new Games record.
Samoa’s Vaipava Ioane, who is 33 years old, lifted a combined 293kg to bag silver, while Umoafia was not far behind with a combined 290k.
Also today, Nigeria fought back from the brink of defeat to advance to the semi-finals of the table tennis men’s team event.
The Nigerian team came from behind to beat Malaysia 3-2 to reach the medal range of the event.
Nigeria went behind when Malaysia’s Javen Choong and Qi Shen beat Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo 3-1 (6-11, 12-10, 12 -10,11-7) in the doubles match.
World No.12 and Commonwealth No.2 Quadri Aruna brought Team Nigeria level in the Singles 1 match by beating Chee Feng Leong 3-1 (11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5).
Malaysia restored their lead as Qi Shen Wong dismissed Bode Biodun 3-0 (12 -10, 14 -12, 11-5), but Nigeria won the next two matches to progress.
In Singles 3, Omotayo beat Chee Feng Leong 3-1, while Aruna sealed the hard-fought victory by defeating Javen Choong 3-1 in Singles 4.
