Lucy Ejike, a world record-holder in para-powerlifting, on Monday in Abuja said she has a target of winning a gold medal at the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin.
Ejike, who recently returned from a Tokyo Olympics qualifying event, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the festival would also serve as part of her preparations for the Olympics.
The 43-year-old, who won a gold medal in the women’s up-to-61kg event at Manchester in the UK, said she was ready to represent Enugu state in Benin.
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“I am ready for the sports festival. We (athletes) have all waited patiently for this event. We can’t wait to resume competitions after being away for so long due to COVID-19.
“I am looking forward to representing Enugu state and winning a gold medal.”
She however quickly pointed out that she was also expecting a very tough competition in Benin because there are other athletes who are working very hard as well.
On her outing in Manchester, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist who had qualified for Tokyo 2020 prior to the event reminisced on returning to competition since February 2020.
“It was an amazing experience last month in Manchester. It’s my first tournament since COVID-19 started last year and I was glad to meet my colleagues from different parts of the world.
“I am also glad that I won a gold medal. It is a huge motivation for me ahead of the Olympics,” Ejike added.