Nigeria’s head coach believes his team’s total dominance of the para powerlifting is set to continue and world records will be broken at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games when the competition is underway next Tuesday.
“We have three world record-holders here (Paul Kehinde, Esther Oyema and Lucy Ejike) and they’re all in good shape,” said Prince Are Feyisetan.
“Most of our athletes won gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, so we are waiting to see what they can do – because we know that they can do better. They are true professionals.”
Nigeria has won all eight Commonwealth Games gold medals contested in para powerlifting since the sport was introduced at Delhi 2010.
The nation’s success in para powerlifting is due to the professional approach to the sport in Nigeria and the respect his countrymen have for the athletes.
“Our athletes travel and compete often, almost as much as any other Nigerian athletes,” Feyisetan, a former powerlifter stated.
“We manage our training and make sure that we are doing the right things so that we don’t get injured.
“We don’t do programs that come from other sports or are meant for other types of athletes or bodybuilders. Para powerlifting is its own sport and we need our own specific programmes.
“Everyone back home is expecting that the first Commonwealth Games medal for Nigeria is going to come from powerlifting.”
