Sport - Afro-Asian Games   

Nigeria dominates on opening day

By Abhijit Sen Gupta

Etiene Abasi Ernest Akwa of Nigeria, who won the gold in the 62-kg class weightlifting in Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: P. V. Sivakumar

Hyderabad Oct. 25 Nigeria emerged as the leading medal winner on the first day of the weightlifting competitions as it picked up two golds in the discipline, in the first ever Afro Asian Games which got underway at the Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy indoor stadium in Yousufguda here today.

Displaying commendable strength and fine technique 22 year old Gbenga Olupona gave Nigeria the first gold by posting a total of 247.5 kgs in the men's 56 kgs category.

In the other competition of the day namely the men's 62 kg category also it was Nigerian Etiene Abasi Ernest Akwa who picked up the gold by registering a total of 275 kgs.

Gbenga Olupona who had a bodyweight of exactly 56 kgs first chalked up 107.5 kgs in the snatch competition. He later followed this up with 140 kgs in the clean and jerk to take the overall gold also with an impressive total of 247.5 kgs.

He said later that he was confident of wining the gold here as he had put in a lot of hard work in practice.

India also had reason to be happy with the day's proceedings since it picked up a silver and a bronze in the weightlifting arena.

V. Srinivasa Rao gave the local fans something to cheer about as he picked up the silver in this weight category. Rao who is a 22 year old lifter originally hailing from Andhra Pradesh and who has a body weight of 55.85 kgs, first snatched 105 kgs and then came up with a heave of 135 kgs in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 240 kgs . He told the media later that he had not been able to put in adequate amount of practice due to a heavy work schedule which forced him to do a lot of travelling. If he had got the opportunity to put in more practice his performance would have been better said Rao. Tsai Sheng Fen of Taipei came third with a total of 210 kgs.

In the 62 kgs competition while Nigerian Eitiene Abasi Ernest Akwa got the gold, Ronnayath Amnoiwong of Thailand took the silver and again India finished with a medal when Chandandeep Singh picked up the bronze by totalling 255 kgs.

The results: Men: 56 kgs : 1. Gbenga Olupona (Nigeria) 107.5 kgs + 140 kgs = 247.5 kgs; 2. V.Srinivasa Rao (India) 105 kgs + 135 kgs = 240 kgs; 3. Tsai Sheng Fen (Taipei) 90 kgs + 120 kgs= 210 kgs.

62 kgs : 1. Etiene Abasi Ernest Akwa (Nigeria) 120 kgs + 155 kgs = 275 kgs; 2. Ronnayath Amnoiwong (Thailand) 115 kgs + 142.5 kgs = 257.5 kgs; 3. Chandandeep Singh (India) 110 kgs + 145 kgs = 255 kgs.

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