Here are five Nigerian medal prospects as Tokyo Paralympics kicks off

The 2021 Paralympics has kicked off in Tokyo with expectations high on Team Nigeria to secure more medals.

Nigeria made her debut in 1992 and has amassed a total of 70 medals — 36 gold, 18 silver, 16 bronze — thus far.

By contrast, the country has won just 27 Olympic medals despite making its first appearance in 1952.

The Paralympics is always filled with memories, magic and medals. And Tokyo, perhaps, won’t be any different.

Team Nigeria will present a total of 22 para-athletes across 4 sports — athletics (5), powerlifting (10), table tennis (6), and rowing (1).

Here are five of the country’s brightest hopes of winning medals at the competition:

Lucy Ejike 

Sport class: Powerlifting (Women’s 61kg)

Age: 44

Since Ejike began representing Nigeria at the Paralympics in 2000, she has never failed to win a medal for the country at all the subsequent competitions.

In five games that Ejike had participated in, she won three gold medals at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 and then two silver medals at Sydney 2000 and London 2012.

The Enugu-based powerlifter is one of Nigeria’s most decorated Paralympians and has established a hegemony on the 61kg category.

Eucharia Iyiazi

Sport class: Women’s F58 shot put and discus

Age: 48

Another serial medalist, Iyiazi is a veteran of three events at the Paralympics, winning multiple laurels in the shot put, discus and javelin.

She has garnered two gold medals, one silver and three bronze, across four games.

At the Beijing Paralympics, Iyiazzi set the world and Paralympic record for the F58 class in the shot put and discus event.

She is currently in an irrepressible form coming from the 2021 World Para-athletics championship with gold and silver medals to her name.

Lauritta Onye

Sport class: Women’s F40 shot put

Age: 37

Onye became famous for her acrobatic celebration after becoming the first T40 athlete to throw over eight metres. She won gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

The Imo-born para-athlete will hope to revive the impeccable form that aided her chances at the last Paralympics.

Femi Alabi

Sport class: Men’s C10 table tennis

Age: 48

Since his first — and by far his most successful Paralympics outing in Sydney 2000 — Alabi has suffered a drought of laurels.

In Sydney, Alabi won a gold medal at the team table tennis event together with Tajudeen Agunbiade and Tunde Adisa.  He also picked up bronze in the singles category.

However, he has failed to repeat the feat at the subsequent games, as his performances were not good enough for the podium.

If Alabi can repeat the performance that won him the individual class 10 event of the 2019 ITTF African Para Table Tennis championships, he might earn himself a place on the podium.

Yakubu Adesokan

Sport class: Powerlifter men’s 48 kg

Age: 42

Adesokan is a force to reckon with in the 48 kg category of men’s powerlifting.

En route to winning a gold medal at London 2012, the para-athlete lifted 180kg and broke the world record.

He is in brilliant form after winning the gold medal at the 2021 para-powerlifting world cup in Manchester.

A continuation of that heightened performance will certainly get him a medal at the games.