Kenya Bags Nine Weightlifting Silver Medals In Mauritius
16th August 2018
Langat, Ndoli and Aromo win three medals each at continental showdown
- Aromo, Ndoli and Langat won the second medals in the snatch, total in addition to clean and jerk competitions in their weight categories
- Anthony Libasia finished fourth in the men’s 69kgs division while Mike Ndege came fifth position in the men’s 62kgs
- Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association (KAWA) President, Pius Ochieng, hailed the performance in Mahebourg
- Kenyan weightlifters have taken part in the Commonwealth and Africa Championships
MAHEBOURG, Mauritius- Kenya will return home with nine silver medals from the on going Africa Weightlifting Championships in Mahebourg, Mauritius this weekend.
All Africa Games triple silver winner, Winny Neno Langat (women’s 58kgs) as well as Webstar Ndoli Lukose (men’s 77kgs) and Morris Aromo (men’s 85kgs) who represented Kenya at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, were responsible for the country’s tally with three medals apiece.
Aromo, Ndoli and Langat won the second medals in the snatch, total in addition to clean and jerk competitions in their weight categories.
"It feels great to add another feather in my cap. It’s motivation to work for the elusive gold in future,” Langat, who ditched the Pole-vault field event in athletics for weightlifting four years ago, noted.
Anthony Libasia finished fourth in the men’s 69kgs division while Mike Ndege came fifth position in the men’s 62kgs.
Tokyo edge
Despite missing out on gold, Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association (KAWA) President, Pius Ochieng, hailed the performance in Mahebourg.
"This is a better ranking that will give us an edge for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualification based on the new rules brought into effect by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)," Ochieng outlined.
"The new regulations affect qualification for international events and it is based on individual effort and not team classification where a player has to take part in four international events within an Olympic cycle to be eligible for the Games,” the weightlifting boss explained further.
"Lifters whose classifications do not fall under those provided by IWF are being urged to adjust accordingly," Ochieng spelt out.
Thus far, according to the KAWA boss, Kenyan weightlifters have taken part in the Commonwealth and Africa Championships with the forthcoming Olympics qualifiers and Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi, India, in 2019 the other events under consideration for Tokyo 2020.
Head coach, Douglas Locho and KAWA Secretary General, John Ogola, accompanied team that will jet back to the country on Saturday.