Liadi grabs weightlifting silver as judokas, boxer, male table tennis team fall

Nigeria 11th as Australia leads medals table

Nigeria’s weightlifter, Taiwo Liadi, yesterday, added a silver medal to the country’s kitty at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Liadi lifted a combined 216kg to win Nigeria’s fifth medal in the sport, which has been the country’s source of laurels so far in Birmingham.

The Nigerian had earlier set two junior Commonwealth records with a 120kg lift in the clean and jerk on her way to the podium.  

Canada’s Maya Laylor won the gold medal, setting two new Commonwealth records with a combined lift of 228kg. Nauru’s Maximina Uepa settled for the bronze medal.  

Nigeria’s quest for the bronze medal in the men’s table tennis team event failed as the Quadri Aruna led team fell 3-0 to England in the third place contest.

In judo, it was also not a good outing for Nigeria, as the country’s three representatives were shown the way out of the Games.  

Contesting in the women’s 63kg weight division, Cecilia James was beaten by Australia’s Katharina Haecker in the quarterfinals, while Joy Asonye, competing in the women’s 70kg lost to another Australian, Aoife Coughlan
 
Nigeria’s boxers have not fared better, as Abdul Afeez Osoba lost to England’s Garan Croft in a unanimous decision in the 71kg of the men’s contest.  

On Day Six, Nigeria will field athletes in boxing, table tennis singles, athletics and weightlifting. As at press time, Australia leads the medal’s table with 32 gold, 21 silver and 21 bronze medals, while England is second with 23 gold, 25 silver and 12 bronze medals, just as New Zealand is third with 13 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals.

Nigeria has dropped from ninth position to 11th on the log with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.