The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) has congratulated Rafiatu Folashade Lawal on her historic outing at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Forde, Norway.
Lawal made history by winning three silver medals in the women’s 58kg category, becoming the first Nigerian ever to achieve such a feat globally.
Her latest success adds to an already impressive record, including gold medals at the 2019 African Games in Rabat and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
She also claimed top honours at the 2023 African Games in Accra, cementing her reputation as one of Nigeria’s most consistent weightlifters.
In Norway, Lawal lifted 101kg in the snatch, 128kg in the clean and jerk, recording a total of 229kg to finish second overall.
North Korea’s Kim Il-Gyong claimed three gold medals with a world record total of 236kg, while Olympic champion Kuo Hsing-chun of Chinese Taipei took two bronze with 224kg.
Ulrey Eleanor of the United States secured the remaining bronze medal in the snatch with a lift of 98kg.
Reacting, NWF President Ibrahim Aladi expressed immense pride and joy, describing Lawal’s success as a testament to her hard work and discipline.
“Rafiatu has once again proven that Nigerian weightlifters can stand tall on the world stage,” Aladi said in a statement on Sunday.
He praised her dedication and commitment, noting that her performance in Norway reflected resilience, focus, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Aladi also commended the National Sports Commission and the NWF Board Members for their continued support for Nigerian weightlifters.
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“We are committed to ensuring our athletes continue to attend international competitions to keep Nigeria strong in global weightlifting,” he added.
The NWF president highlighted that Lawal’s performance surpassed the previous best record held by Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele.
Ayodele, who competed in the women’s 64kg class, won two silver and one bronze medal at the 2023 IWF World Championships in Saudi Arabia.
She lifted 100kg in the snatch, 122kg in the clean and jerk, and 222kg in total — a record now eclipsed by Lawal’s 229kg total.
Aladi further urged corporate organisations and philanthropists to support the federation’s programmes and athlete development initiatives.
He stressed that adequate funding is essential to sustain progress and prepare Nigerian lifters for future competitions.
“We appeal to the private sector to partner with us so our lifters continue to represent Nigeria proudly.
“With adequate support, we can produce more world champions like Rafiatu Lawal,” he said.
(NAN)
