Esther Nworgu has secured Nigeria’s second medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris.
The 21-year-old won a silver medal in the women’s up to 41kg para-powerlifting event at the La Chapelle Arena on Wednesday.
She was narrowly beaten by China’s Zhe Cui, who lifted 119kg to set a new Paralympic Games record and take the gold.
Esther’s journey to the silver medal began with a 106kg lift, placing her second behind Cui, who started with 108kg.
In her second lift, Nworgu lifted 112kg, while Cui extended her lead with a 113kg lift.
In the final round, Nworgu achieved her best lift of 118kg, securing her second-place finish. Brazil’s Lara de Lima lifted 109kg to take the bronze.
Esther’s achievement is quite commendable as it is a testament to her skill and determination.
Earlier in the competition, Eniola Bolaji set the tone by winning Nigeria’s first Paralympic medal in Paris on Monday.
She defeated her Ukrainian opponent, Oksana Kozyna, in straight sets 2-0 (21-9, 21-9) to win a bronze medal.
It was the first time an African had won a medal in Badminton, whether at the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
As the Paralympic Games continue, fans are eager to see if Team Nigeria can add more medals to its tally.
The country won 10 medals at the last Tokyo Paralympic Games with four being gold medals.
In para-table tennis, Isau Ogunkunle has qualified for the semifinals of men’s Singles Class 4.
The 38-year-old defeated Maxime Thomas from a set down to win 3-1 in the quarter-final.
Ogunkunle had previously upset Turkey’s Abdullah Ozturk 3-1 in the second round.
He previously won bronze for Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Ogunkunle is now closer to another and will be competing in the semi-final on September 7.