When Sarah Ovayioza stepped onto the platform in Moka, Mauritius, for the final day of the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship, she wasn’t just lifting for herself—she was lifting the hopes, pride, and power of Team Nigeria. And she delivered, flawlessly.
In the women’s 76kg category, Sarah Ovayioza pulled off a stunning performance that left the arena roaring. Her combined lift of 237kg in the snatch and clean & jerk didn’t just win medals—it closed Nigeria’s campaign with style, strength, and sheer dominance. Three lifts, three golds, and one unforgettable finale.
“It was never just about winning—it was about representing every girl who dreams big,” Sarah shared, her voice steady with pride after stepping off the podium draped in the green-white-green.
Her victory capped off a phenomenal run for Team Nigeria, which wrapped up the championship with 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its place as the undisputed powerhouse of African weightlifting.
Sarah’s gold rush followed equally dazzling performances from Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele (64kg), Onome Omolola Didih (55kg), and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal (59kg), all of whom swept their categories with triple-gold victories. On the men’s side, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong and Tuesday Emmanuel added to the tally with spirited showings in their respective weight classes.
But it was Sarah’s powerful final lift that truly brought the curtain down with a bang—a statement of strength, resilience, and excellence.
With the championship still ongoing until April 28, Nigeria may have exited early, but their performance—punctuated by Sarah Ovayioza’s golden heroics—will echo through the halls of African weightlifting for a long time to come.
