Latifat Tijani of Team Ogun has confirmed her supremacy as a force to reckon with in the para-powerlifting 45kg category at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival in Benin City, Edo State.
Latifat filled with emotion lifted 115 kg to win the gold medal in the category while Team Edo powerlifter picked the silver just as Team Delta grabbed the nearest bronze medal inside the gymnastics hall, Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City.
Latifat, who just returned from Para-Powerlifting World Cup held in Manchester, United Kingdom whereby she won gold in her category, while Team Nigeria won ten gold and three silver totalling thirteen medals with just thirteen lifters to the event.
In a chat with Newsnigeriaonline.com.ng, she dedicated her festival gold to Almighty Allah for seeing her through in spite of the inadequate preparation towards the sports festival.
The world champion remarked that winning the festival gold was her target having lost out at the festival held in 2018 in Abuja.
She however promised not to relent in her efforts to do well again at the forthcoming Fazza World Para-Powerlifting event coming up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates later in the year.
In the same vein, Team Ogun female rugby players were lucky to be in the sports festival as God crowned their efforts with bronze medal. Lateef Lasisi picked bronze medal in golf event.
Similarly, the para-athletics event fetched the state a silver medal in javelin and a bronze in shotput while two bronze medals were recorded in the women hurdles 400m race and cycling respectively.
However, in the boxing event, two bronze were recorded just as four boxers have advanced to the final in their various categories after eliminated their opponents in the semifinals battles at Akenzua Cultural Centre while three others semifinals will hold tomorrow.
The Team Ogun now has nine gold, four silver and twenty bronze medals in the sports festival, having won on day nine a total of two gold, two silver and six bronze medals.
Meanwhile, the inability of the sports writers to have the detail medals table from the organisers has brought about not getting updated medals table.
Moreover, the results available for now stated that Delta State still maintain her lead on the medals table with 47 gold, 27 silver and 34 bronze medals, while Team Edo is second with 39 gold, 43 silver and 39 bronze medals just as Team Bayelsa is resting on the third position with 27 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze medals.