Esther Nworgu has won Nigeria’s second medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, earning silver in the women’s up to 41kg para-powerlifting event at the La Chapelle Arena on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old was narrowly defeated by China’s Zhe Cui, who claimed the gold by lifting 119kg, setting a new Paralympic Games record. Nworgu had set two new Paralympic records in her last two attempts, lifting 112kg and 118kg, but the Chinese competitor outperformed her each time.
Nworgu’s achievement marks Nigeria’s second medal at the Paralympics, following Eniola Bolaji’s win of the country’s first medal on Monday. The 18-year-old secured a bronze medal in the women’s singles SL3 badminton event.
In para-table tennis, Isau Ogunkunle has advanced to the semifinals of the men’s Singles Class 4.
The 38-year-old overcame Maxime Thomas, coming from a set down to secure a 3-1 victory in the quarterfinals.
Earlier, Ogunkunle upset Turkey’s Abdullah Ozturk with a 3-1 win in the second round. Having previously won bronze for Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Ogunkunle is now one step closer to another medal, with his semifinal match scheduled for September 7.
