In a remarkable show of youthful prowess, two teenage athletes from the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) contingent stole the spotlight at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) in Ogun State by clinching multiple medals in the women’s 45kg weightlifting category.

The event, which was held on Sunday at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sagamu, marked the commencement of competitive activities at the festival. It featured other events like kung fu, deaf badminton, and badminton, taking place across various venues in Ikenne and Abeokuta.

Sixteen-year-old Amarachi Chijioke and her teammate Scholastical Tekumbur made history for the IJA team with a combined haul of two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze — a significant feat against elite adult competitors.

Chijioke delivered an outstanding performance by securing two gold medals in the clean and jerk segment with a best lift of 82kg, recording a total lift of 146kg to dominate the category. Scholastical Tekumbur complemented her teammate’s efforts by lifting 78kg to earn a bronze medal in the same category. Christina Allorima of Rivers State took silver with a lift of 81kg.

In the snatch event, Ronke Olarinoye of Lagos State lifted 65kg to clinch gold, while Chijioke narrowly missed out, lifting 64kg to claim silver. Allorima added another bronze medal to her tally with a lift of 61kg.

Olarinoye’s gold medal, recorded at exactly 12:57 p.m., is in contention for the honour of being the first gold medal of the Gateway Games 2024, pending official confirmation by the Main Organising Committee.

The IJA team, informally dubbed the “38th State” of the festival, consists of over 100 promising teenagers from across Nigeria. The initiative was launched by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to provide young athletes with the opportunity to gain early exposure to top-level competition in various sports, including athletics, football, wrestling, swimming, and table tennis.

Speaking on the motivation behind the IJA concept, Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, said the programme was designed to harness and nurture the immense sporting potential of Nigerian youth.

“We created the Invited Junior Athletes concept because we believe in the talents of young people bound in this country,” Olopade stated. “Our goal is to provide a platform for these young stars to test their skills and begin their journey to becoming world-class athletes.”

The early success of the IJA athletes signals a promising start to the NSF Gateway Games 2024 and reinforces the importance of youth investment in national sports development.