Rio 2016 Paralympics: Nigeria wins first gold through Ezuruike

TEAM Nigeria late Friday night recorded its first gold medal at the ongoing Rio 2016 Paralympics through powerlifter, Roland Ezuruike.
The reigning All Africa Games gold medallist lifted 200kg to clinch the gold in the men’s 54kg powerlifting event at Riocentro, Pavilion 2.
Ezuruike first lifted 185kg to set a new Paralympic record and improved on it with a lift of 190kg, while the Nigerian’s last attempt was a successful lift of 200kg, which stands as the new Paralympic record.
The Imo State-born Ezuruike, it will be recalled, at his first major international debut won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he competed in the men’s 72kg.
Wang Jian of China won the silver with a lift of 170 kg, while Bakochristos Dimitrios of Greece settled for the bronze after lifting 162 kg.
It will be recalled that Nigeria first won a silver medal at the ongoing Paralympics through Latifat Tijani who lifted 106kg in the women’s 45kg powerlifting event, one kilo short of the gold medal winner from China’s Hu Dandan.
Meanwhile, as of the time of this report, Team Nigeria is joint 20th on the medal’s table with Egypt, Iran and Slovakia, while Tunisia leads the continent with three gold and two silver medals to occupy ninth on the table.