Onyinyechi Mark Gift etched her name in the record books at the African Open Para-Powerlifting Championships in Oran, Algeria on Saturday, obliterating both the world and African records in the women’s 67kg category to headline a dominant outing that saw Nigeria finish the tournament with 13 medals.
The record-breaking lift was the standout moment of the final day, as Nigeria added two gold and one silver to its overall tally of seven gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo also claimed gold in the women’s +86kg, while the women’s 50kg category produced a fiercely contested all-Nigerian final: Ajiboye Rukayat edged compatriot Anigbogu Chikordi Esther by a single kilogram — 115kg to 114kg — to take gold, with Esther settling for silver.
Nigeria’s 13-medal haul across the championships cements the country’s standing as the undisputed powerhouse of para-powerlifting on the continent.
