By Gracious Akujobi The Nigerian Weightlifting Federation (NWF) is making plans to enroll its lifters at the Australian Institute of Sports to fine tune their skills before going for major championships next year.
The NWF President, Chibudum Nwuche on Monday in Lagos disclosed this on the arrival of the 14-man contingent that won laurels for the nation at the 2013 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in Penang, Malaysia over the weekend.
Nwuche, said the NWF would intensify the drive to unearth new talents at the grassroots level in order to present a formidable team ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.
The Nigerian team won a total of eight gold, three silver and three bronze medals, finishing as overall best team in the female category.
They beat India, which came with a 103-man contingent, and host Malaysia which won just two gold medals.
Beside the medals won by the athletes, the team returned with four trophies, indicating their dominance of the competition.
Team captain Maryam Usman, who emerged winner in the +75kg, received the best overall trophy for the team, while Agatha Obioma emerged the best lifter in the female category.
Fourteen year old Joy Chika emerged the best lifter in the junior female category and Joy Joseph Obehi won the best lifter in the youth category.
